Monday 9 November Archives - Bridport Literary Festival

Event 19 | James Aldred | A Wagon in the Woods

£12.00

James Aldred - A Wagon in the Woods

When James Aldred found the decaying horse-drawn wagon he had played in as a child, buried beneath New Forest brambles, he found himself transported in time. Rebuilding the vehicle became a way to re-examine the forest itself. Aldred retraces the paths of his youth, exploring a landscape shaped as much by royal history and Romany heritage as by its otters and goshawks. A Wagon in the Woods offers a portrait of one of the UK’s most cherished landscapes and considers the deep roots that bind us to place. Chaired by writer and editor Jon Woolcott. James Aldred is an award-winning wildlife cameraman who has worked on many landmark natural history programmes with Sir David Attenborough.
Priority booking opens Friday 28 August, while general booking opens on Friday 11 September. Become a Friend today and enjoy two weeks of priority booking, giving you first access to the programme. Contact TIC Bridport to book tickets - 01308 424901.

When: Monday 9 November 2026 @ 10.30 am

Where: Bull Ballroom

Sponsored by: Francesca Radcliffe

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Event 20 | Beth Gardiner | Plastic Inc

£14.00

Beth Gardiner - Plastic Inc - Big Oil, Big Money and the Plan to Trash Our Future

In her new book journalist Beth Gardiner looks at our love-hate relationship with one of the world’s most ubiquitous materials. Praised by the New York Times as “a compelling true-crime story”, Gardiner’s deep dive exposes how petrochemical giants have turned to plastic as a financial lifeline, plotting to double production even as individuals are encouraged to use less. Gardiner reveals how corporate litter campaigns cleverly shifted guilt onto consumers, and why the “myth” of recycling plastic effectively has been promoted despite industry knowledge that it can’t work at scale. Author and green campaigner Julia Hailes chairs a revelatory discussion.
Priority booking opens Friday 28 August, while general booking opens on Friday 11 September. Become a Friend today and enjoy two weeks of priority booking, giving you first access to the programme. Contact TIC Bridport to book tickets - 01308 424901.

When: Monday 9 November 2026 @ 12 noon

Where: Bridport Arts Centre

Sponsored by: Julia Hailes

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Event 21 | Cecilia Knapp | Writing Workshop

£50.00

Cecilia Knapp - Writing Workshop - When Poetry Meets Prose

Poet and novelist Cecilia Knapp brings a relaxed, exploratory workshop to Bridport, looking at work from some of the most exciting contemporary poets who work across both poetry and prose. Through close reading, discussion and playful, exercises, she will encourage you to seek inspiration from these dynamic writers and create not just your own poetry, but also prose, enriched by these findings. Cecilia Knapp was Young People’s Poet Laureate for London in 2021 and was shortlisted for the Forward Prize for best single poem in 2022. Her debut poetry collection Peach Pig was published in 2022. Her latest novel is Lack.
Priority booking opens Friday 28 August, while general booking opens on Friday 11 September. Become a Friend today and enjoy two weeks of priority booking, giving you first access to the programme. Contact TIC Bridport to book tickets - 01308 424901.

When: Monday 9 November 2026 @ 12 noon - 2 pm

Where: Human Nature

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Event 22 | Jeremy Hunt | Can We Be Rich Again?

£16.50

Jeremy Hunt - Can We Be Rich Again? - The Surprising Potential of Britain’s Economy

Stagnant growth, oppressive national debt and record tax burdens have convinced many that Britain’s economic best days are behind it. In Can We Be Rich Again?, the former Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt offers an urgent riposte to widespread doom-mongering. Drawing on decades in government, Hunt outlines a roadmap to reignite prosperity. From uncorking the potential of the United Kingdom’s world-leading tech and financial sectors to reforming stagnant state machinery, he argues that low growth is a solvable crisis. Join us for a compelling discussion on how Britain can change its financial fortunes.
Priority booking opens Friday 28 August, while general booking opens on Friday 11 September. Become a Friend today and enjoy two weeks of priority booking, giving you first access to the programme. Contact TIC Bridport to book tickets - 01308 424901.

When: Monday 9 November 2026 @ 2.00 pm

Where: Electric Palace

Sponsored by: Tim & Sara Clarke

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Event 23 | Jennifer Potter | Looking for Mr Schwitters

£12.00

Jennifer Potter - Looking for Mr Schwitters

Modern art circles revere Kurt Schwitters as an “artist’s artist”, leader of the Dada movement and pioneer of pop art. But he ended his days as an exile, working in post-war Cumbria. Writer and artist Jennifer Potter follows the traces left after Schwitters was dismissed as a “degenerate” by the Nazis and forced into exile. Potter blends biography, memoir and art history in an attempt to understand Schwitters’ mysterious influence on her own life and writing. Exploring his revolutionary collages as well as an unfinished masterpiece hidden in the Langdale Valley, Potter reflects on exile and what it means to leave a mark on a place. Chaired by festival director, Adrian Turpin.
Priority booking opens Friday 28 August, while general booking opens on Friday 11 September. Become a Friend today and enjoy two weeks of priority booking, giving you first access to the programme. Contact TIC Bridport to book tickets - 01308 424901.

When: Monday 9 November 2026 @ 3.30 pm

Where: Bull Ballroom

Sponsored by: Jim Bartos

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Event 24 | James Holland | The Visionaries

£14.00

James Holland - The Visionaries

Leading second world war historian James Holland discusses his new book The Visionaries with the novelist Boris Starling. Holland explores how architects of peace – spearheaded by Franklin D Roosevelt and Harry S Truman – had begun to think seriously about the 20th-century post-war world order long before the carnage had ended. Through bold initiatives such as the Marshall Plan, these leaders chose cooperation over retribution, laying the foundations for eight decades of Western peace and prosperity. Holland argues that global stability is never an accident: it is designed. What lessons are there for today’s leaders?” And will anyone step up to be a visionary for the 21st century?
Priority booking opens Friday 28 August, while general booking opens on Friday 11 September. Become a Friend today and enjoy two weeks of priority booking, giving you first access to the programme. Contact TIC Bridport to book tickets - 01308 424901.

When: Monday 9 November 2026 @ 5.00 pm

Where: Bridport Arts Centre

Sponsored by: Guy & Clare Schwinge

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Event 25 | Cecilia Knapp | Lack

£10.00

Anna Whitwham - Soft Tissue Damage - Writing Workshop

Novelist and poet Cecilia Knapp joins Anna Whitwham to discuss Lack, her sharp and lyrical novel about a thirtysomething woman caught between her superficially glamorous life and a growing sense of panic. Knapp looks directly at the challenges of leaving one’s twenties, as career pressure and a desire to have fun collide with the search for meaning. In the lonely hours of the middle of the night, a woman scrolls social media on her phone. Babies are everywhere. All her friends seem to have one. But how can she consider bringing a new life into the world when that world is burning? Cecilia Knapp was Young People’s Laureate for London 2020-2021. She was shortlisted for the 2022 Forward Prize for best single poem.
Priority booking opens Friday 28 August, while general booking opens on Friday 11 September. Become a Friend today and enjoy two weeks of priority booking, giving you first access to the programme. Contact TIC Bridport to book tickets - 01308 424901.

When: Monday 9 November 2026 @ 5.00 pm

Where: Goose and Badger

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Event 26 | Greg Doran | Walking Shadow

£16.50

Greg Doran - Walking Shadow - Love, Loss and Shakespeare

Following the loss of his husband, Sir Antony Sher, former RSC Artistic Director Greg Doran set out on an extraordinary quest: to track down as many surviving copies of Shakespeare’s First Folio as possible. He weaves a moving account of Sher’s final illness together with a captivating travelogue spanning four continents. Seeking out more than two hundred Folios – from Tokyo to South Africa – Doran slowly uncovers their unique histories. Part love story, part literary detective story, Walking Shadow explores how he faced down deep personal grief with the inspiration of the world’s greatest playwright. Chaired by author Vivian French.
Priority booking opens Friday 28 August, while general booking opens on Friday 11 September. Become a Friend today and enjoy two weeks of priority booking, giving you first access to the programme. Contact TIC Bridport to book tickets - 01308 424901.

When: Monday 9 November 2026 @ 7.00 pm

Where: Electric Palace

Sponsored by: David & Angela Neuberger

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Event 27 | Julian Baggini | Philosophy in Pubs

£8.00

Julian Baggini - Philosophy in Pubs - How To Think Like a Philosopher

For the first time, Bridport Literary Festival is teaming up with Bridport’s regular Philosophy in Pubs night for an evening of ideas-driven conversation. Co-founder of the Philosophers’ Magazine, Julian Baggini, will kick off a discussion inspired by his book How To Think Like a Philosopher, as he encourages us to think for ourselves, not by ourselves. Julian is a prominent English philosopher and journalist who has authored over 20 books bringing philosophy to the general public, including the bestselling The Pig That Wants To Be Eaten and How the World Thinks. Chaired by Kelvin Clayton. With special thanks to The Woodman pub for hosting.
Priority booking opens Friday 28 August, while general booking opens on Friday 11 September. Become a Friend today and enjoy two weeks of priority booking, giving you first access to the programme. Contact TIC Bridport to book tickets - 01308 424901.

When: Monday 9 November 2026 @ 8.30 pm

Where: The Woodman

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