Author Talk

We will be selling books at this reading and conversation with the author Benjamin Markovits, organised by the University of Bristol. Markovits grew up in Texas, London and Berlin. He is the prizewinning author of eleven novels including Either Side of Winter, You Don't Have to Live Like This and Christmas in Austin. He lives in London and teaches creative writing at Royal Holloway. Wednesday 6th December, 5pm G.H01, Arts Complex, 3-5 Woodland Rd Free entry, all welcome, no booking required. A drinks reception will follow the event. Contact: michael.kalisch@bristol.ac.uk

Darwin Day Lecture Being You: the new science of consciousness with Professor Anil Seth 'Human consciousness is just about the last surviving mystery', so said philosopher Daniel Dennett. Somehow, within each of our brains, billions of neurons work to create our conscious experience. How does this happen? And why do we experience life in the first person? Charles Darwin reasoned that there is a unity of all living things. That unity, he reckoned, applies not just to bodies but also to minds. Scientists continue to debate the question of exactly how the brain (a biological organ) gives rise to a mind (with its intangible mental processes). Anil Seth will open up some of these ideas in his exploration of being you. He will challenge your understanding of perception and reality, and turn what you thought you knew about yourself, on its head. World-renowned neuroscientist Seth puts forward a radical new theory of consciousness and self. Full details: https://www.meetup.com/bristol-humanists/events/297640024/ Tickets: https://www.wegottickets.com/event/604068

Clare Reddaway launches her gorgeous and gentle novel, Dancing in the Shallows at the Clifton Library. 6.30 for a 7pm start. All details in the link below. We are so looking forward to hearing from Clare about the book and will have a bookstall at the event. 'She's had this feeling before. This feeling of marking time. Of pressing her nose against a window and watching as everyone else lives their best lives.'Isla Wintergreen has not seen her grandfather since she was seven, but when she unexpectedly inherits his cottage on the Isle of Skye, she cannot resist the opportunity to escape her purposeless life. As she slowly becomes a part of the island community, she learns more about the family she never really knew - from her estranged father, to her reclusive grandfather, and her intelligent but oppressed great-grandmother. Meanwhile, her mother Cathy reflects on her own past. Mother and daughter both hope to find new freedom - but can family patterns ever really be broken?Told through the lives of four generations of Isla's family, all linked by their connection to water, 'Dancing in the Shallows' masterfully explores family relationships and generational inheritance.

We will be the booksellers at the launch of Crypt at St George's, Bristol. You can buy tickets from their website: https://www.stgeorgesbristol.co.uk/whats-on/alice-roberts-crypt/ Tickets are selling quickly! After a sell-out tour in 2022, Professor Alice Roberts returns to launch her new book, Crypt. This final instalment of her highly-acclaimed trilogy explores the experience of life, death and disease in the Middle Ages and beyond. Alice looks at the archaeological evidence for terrible brutality directed at an ethnic minority in medieval England, she explores the impact of incurable epidemics sweeping through Europe and looks at how modern science is unlocking secrets from the watery grave of the Mary Rose shipwreck. She also reveals how archaeogenetic research is uncovering cryptic clues and shedding new light on diseases such as leprosy, syphilis and the plague. Professor Alice Roberts’ charismatic and engaging style has captivated audiences from all backgrounds for over two decades. Don’t miss this unique opportunity to join her for a fascinating evening, learn more about her latest book and even bag yourself a signed copy!

Why our minds conjure the paranormal What better way to mark All Fools Day (no, this is not an April Fool) than an event that seeks to debunk the myths around the paranormal? This event is organised by Bristol Humanists, with Heron Books providing the bookstall. Ever since records began, in every known society, a substantial proportion of people have reported unusual experiences, often labelled 'paranormal'. Opinion polls show that the majority of the public accept that paranormal phenomena do occur. This widespread belief can only mean one of 2 things. Either the paranormal is real or else belief in the paranormal can be explained psychologically. Ghostly encounters, alien abduction, reincarnation, talking to the dead, UFO sightings, inexplicable coincidences, out-of-body and near-death experiences. Are these legitimate phenomena? If not, then how should we go about understanding them? Chris French investigates paranormal claims to discover what lurks behind this "weird s**t." In the Science of Weird S**t he will debunk ESP, communicating with the dead, and alien abduction claims, among other phenomena. All the while, however, he says that our belief in such phenomena is neither ridiculous nor trivial; if anything, such claims can tell us a great deal about the human mind if we pay them the attention they are due. Chris French is Emeritus Professor and Head of the Anomalistic Psychology Research Unit in the Psychology Department at Goldsmiths, University of London. He is a Fellow of the British Psychological Society and of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry and a Patron of Humanists UK. He has published well over 150 articles and chapters covering a wide range of topics. His main current area of research is the psychology of paranormal beliefs and anomalous experiences. He frequently appears on radio and television casting a sceptical eye over paranormal claims. His most recent book, to be published in March 2024 by MIT Press, is The Science of Weird S**t: Why Our Minds Conjure the Paranormal. Everyone is welcome to attend. Bristol Humanists' events are FREE to members; they ask others to make a contribution of £3/£1. You can join Bristol Humanists here https://www.bristolhumanists.com/membership and for more information on Bristol Humanists https://www.bristolhumanists.com/

In conversation with Amy Jeffs, best-selling author and illustrator of Storyland and Wild

Bristol Centre for Medieval Studies are thrilled to host an interview with Sunday Times Bestselling Author Amy Jeffs.

Dr Amy Jeffs is an author, artist and medievalist. During her PhD in Art History at the University of Cambridge, she co-convened a project researching medieval badges and pilgrim souvenirs at the British Museum. She then worked in the British Library’s department of Ancient, Medieval and Early Modern manuscripts. Now a Somerset-based author, she illustrates her books with print and paper cutout.
Storyland: A New Mythology of Britain was published in 2021.
Wild: Tales from Early Medieval Britain was published in 2022.

The interview will conclude with an audience-led Q&A, with the opportunity to purchase copies of Storyland and Wild to be signed by Amy.