There’s a great big festive bonus for those of you going along to the Kenneth Allsop Memorial Talk on Thursday 7 November.

Not only will nature writer Stephen Moss be talking about his fascinating book, Mrs Moreau’s Warbler: How Birds Got Their Names, he’s also bringing out The Twelve Birds of Christmas on 31 October.

Moss digs beneath the surface of some of our most popular Christmas carols in an ornithological celebration of the festive season.

From the swan and the partridge to the woodpecker’s distinctive drumming, Stephen weaves history, folklore and bird behaviour into a compelling narrative for each species, tracing its fortunes over the past two centuries in a beautifully illustrated book perfect for Christmas.

The author has attracted considerable praise for his work: ‘Moss has carved out an enviable niche as a chronicler of the natural world,’ says The Daily Mail.

Chris Packham describes him as a ‘superb naturalist and writer’.

Moss is a naturalist, author and broadcaster. In a distinguished career at the BBC Natural History Unit his credits included Springwatch, Birds Britannia and The Nature of Britain.

His books include The Wren, The Robin, Mrs Moreau’s Warbler and Wonderland. He is the President of the Somerset Wildlife Trust and a Senior Lecturer in Creative Writing at Bath Spa University. Originally from London, he now lives with his wife and children on the Somerset Levels.

You can catch up with him at The Bull Ballroom at 10am. Tickets are just £10.