A WORD FROM OUR PATRON ROBERT MACFARLANE
The world is out of kilter –– flying helter-skelter towards the brink. Finding and keeping balance is the work of our time. Balance is justice: scales that weigh equally, without favour or discrimination. Balance is grace: a climber poised on two raisin-sized toeholds, high on El Capitan. Balance is kindness: the hand that reaches out to steady another, to take the weight, to show the way. Balance is symmetry: the land falling steeply away to either side, as you fell-run a ridgeline and think that this is as close to flying as a wingless human could ever get. And balance is harmony: the good step taken, then another, then another –– a tightrope-path picked tentatively, hopefully, towards the possibility of living well and fairly upon this Earth.
This year’s Book Festival yearns towards balance in speech, written word, song and musical note. Come, join us: steady yourselves, find firm footing.
PRESENTING PARTNER
SUPPORT PARTNERS
SUPPORTERS
RANJANA GHATAK
Music On Nature p14
ROB ST JOHN Weathering p13
LAURA LAKER Potholes & Pavements p13
HELEN MORT Women Moving Mountains p16 Music On Nature p14
HENRY IDDON Mountain Style p14
JACK MCNEILL Music On Nature p14
BEN MARTYNOGA Rewild p20
MARTIN HIBBERT Top Of The World p7
TOM PARFITT High Caucasus p12
GIULIANA FURCI Music On Nature p14
GUY SHRUBSOLE The Lie Of The Land p8
KATE BRADBURY One Garden Against The World p7
KATE NICHOLSON Behind Everest p15
ADELE ROBERTS Personal Best p6
AMY HUDSON Finding Happiness p15
TIM, MIKE, ANDY Three Dads Walking p12
SARAH SMOUT Waterbaby p6
JACK CORNISH The Lost Paths p11
HAYDEN THORPE Music On Nature p14
MAX LEONARD Mountain Style p14
RUBY FREE Rathlin: A Wild Life p15
CORINNE FOWLER Our Island Stories p7
DAN RICHARDS Women Moving Mountains p16
IONA LANE Music On Nature p14
CHARMAINE WATKISS Legacy p10
DEREK GOW Hunt For The Shadow Wolf p11
MICHAEL MALAY Late Light p8
LEO HOULDING Exposed p12
SUSAN SMILIE The Half Bird p16
DR MAGGIE ADERINPOCOCK The Glories of the Cosmos p10
JONATHAN WESTAWAY Other Everests p16
RUTH ALLEN Weathering p13
STEVE PEAT Forged By Speed p14
SIMON PARKER A Ride Across America p11
KAT HILL Bothy p13
ROBERT MACFARLANE Late Light p8 Music On Nature p14
ADELE ROBERTS PERSONAL BEST
6 – 7pm Thursday 21 Nov
Brewery Arts Screen 1
Tickets £13.50 / u18s £10
Award-winning BBC broadcaster, TV personality and DJ, Adele Roberts, was diagnosed with bowel cancer in October 2021. In the months that followed she fought very publicly through the challenges of chemotherapy and life with a stoma, whom she named Audrey. 18 months on - she ran across the finish line of the London Marathon, setting a new Guinness World Record as the fastest female with an ileostomy.
Adele will share her incredible story, illuminating a path that anyone can follow to get back on track, go further than they thought and achieve their personal best in the marathon of life.
Adele will be in conversation with Immy Sykes.
“Adele’s inner strength is truly remarkable. Personal Best will light a fire of hope and determination in us all.”
Lorraine Kelly
NATURE CHRONICLES AWARD CEREMONY
6 – 7.30pm Thursday 21 Nov
Abbot Hall Gallery
Tickets FREE
Join us for the announcement of the prestigious Nature Chronicles Prize. The aim is to find engaging, unique, essay-length non-fiction that responds to the time we are in and the world as it is, challenging established notions of nature writing.
The winner will receive £10,000 and five runners up £1,000 each. All six winning entries will be published in an anthology by Saraband Publishers.
Congratulations to the shortlisted writers:
Niellah Arboine
Into Each Life, Some Rain Must Fall
Meg Bertera-Berwick
The Kailyards
Emma Harding Wild Track
David Higgins Minibeasts
Neha Sinha
Ibis Sea
Matt Sowerby
Hope is the Thing with Flippers
The award is a memorial to Prudence Scott, a lifelong nature diarist who died in 2019.
“To win this prize, especially in its inaugural awarding, is a really big honour and I’m thrilled.”
Nicola Pitchford
2022 award winner
SARAH SMOUT WATERBABY
9 – 10.30pm Thursday 21 Nov
Brewery Arts Malt Room
Tickets £10.50
Waterbaby invites us on a journey exploring our fragile and intrinsic relationships with water. Combining her soulful poetry, mesmerising vocals and live-looped cello soundscapes, Sarah captivates and tugs at the heart. With stories from her voyages by boat to Iceland, Shetland, the Faroes and the Uists, and over land to waters around her northern UK home, Sarah shares personal experiences of how water has shaped her life.
Waterbaby is a plea for the future of the planet by returning to the ocean that cradled us all as we were waiting to breathe; humming with atmosphere, carrying the voices of those who need to be heard, encapsulating the urgency for connection, healing, and experience with nature.
“Beautiful, evocative and compelling. I’m transported and a little changed”
Live Audience Reviews 2023
MARTIN HIBBERT WITH FIONA DUFFY TOP OF THE WORLD
9.15 – 10.15am Friday 22 Nov
Brewery Arts Malt Room
Tickets £9.50 / u18s £7.50
Martin Hibbert was left paralysed from the waist down by the Manchester Arena bombing in May 2017. The dad from Bolton has since become a leading campaigner both for victims of the atrocity and those with spinal cord injuries.
Determined to make a difference he took on the ultimate challenge; scaling Kilimanjaro in a wheelchair, becoming the second paraplegic to do so, and raising a million pounds for charity. Reaching the summit on 13th June 2022, Martin, who was the closest person to the bomber to survive, said, “I’ve often wondered why I was saved. Now I know why. It was for this moment.”
“Everything about this extraordinary story is as inspiring as it is humbling.”
Ben Fogle
CORINNE FOWLER
OUR ISLAND STORIES: WALKS THROUGH COLONIAL CUMBRIA
11.15am – 12.15pm Friday 22 Nov
Brewery Arts Malt Room
Tickets £9.50 / u18s £7.50
Author and historian Corinne Fowler, walks through Cumbria’s colonial past in her new book Our Island Stories where she explores William Wordsworth’s connection to the East India Company and opium trade, as well as Whitehaven’s legacy as the second biggest tobacco port in Britain.
Looking at the countryside’s connection to the British Empire helps us to see the familiar places around us “a little bit differently” by adding a layer to our understanding of how these areas developed. Corinne will be in conversation with Mohammed Dhalech.
“A detailed and thoughtful exploration of historical connections that for too long have been obscured.”
David Olusoga
KATE BRADBURY ONE GARDEN AGAINST THE WORLD
1.15 – 2.15pm Friday 22 Nov
Brewery Arts Malt Room
Tickets £9.50 / u18s £7.50
Five years after writing her first nature memoir, The Bumblebee Flies Anyway, Kate Bradbury has a new garden.
It’s busy: home to all sorts of wildlife, from red mason bees and bumblebees to house sparrows, hedgehogs and dragonflies. On summer evenings, Kate watches bats flit above her and for a moment, everything seems alright with the world. But she knows habitat loss remains a huge issue in gardens, the wider countryside and worldwide, and there’s another, far bigger threat: climate change. Temperature increases are starting to bite, and she worries about what that will mean for our wildlife.
Kate will be in conversation with Jamie Normington of Cumbria Wildlife Trust.
“If you ever doubted that you can help change the world, READ THIS BOOK.”
Caroline Lucas
GUY SHRUBSOLE THE LIE OF THE LAND
2.30 – 3.30pm Friday 22 Nov
Kendal Town Hall
Tickets £10.50 / u18s £8
Just 1% of the population own half of England, and this tiny landowning elite like to present themselves as the rightful custodians of the countryside. They’re even paid billions of pounds of public money to be good stewards. But what happens when they just don’t care?
Join award-winning author Guy Shrubsole on stage as he shares his journey all over Britain to expose the damage done to our land, and meet the communities fighting back: the river guardians, small farmers and trespassing activists restoring our lost wildlife.
Guy will be in conversation with author Lee Schofield.
“The unjust impositions of historic land ownership blight all our lives – here Guy shows why.”
Chris Packham
MICHAEL MALAY LATE LIGHT
3.45 – 4.45pm Friday 22 Nov
Brewery Arts Malt Room
Tickets £9.50 / u18s £7.50
This is the story of Michael Malay’s own journey, an Indonesian Australian making a home for himself in England and finding strange parallels between his life and the lives of the animals he examines.
Mixing natural history with memoir, this book explores the mystery of our animal neighbours, in all their richness and variety. Through the close examination of four particular ‘unloved’ animals - eels, moths, crickets and musselsMichael Malay tells the story of the economic, political and cultural events that have shaped the modern landscape of Britain.
Michael will be in conversation with Robert Macfarlane.
“An astonishing read” Amy Liptrot The Outrun
Winner of the 2024 Wainwright Prize for Nature Writing and the 2023 Richard Jefferies Award for Nature Writing
WILD SERVICE
4.30 – 6pm Friday 22 Nov
The Venue at the Barrel House
Tickets £9.50 / u18s £7.50
Are we ready to rewrite Britain’s nature narrative through reconnection and restoration? According to recent scientific papers, Britain is now the most nature depleted country in Europe, with its people more disconnected to the natural world than any other country. It is clear that damage to the countryside is damaging us too.
‘Wild Service’ calls for ordinary people to reconnect to the land and commit to its restoration. Whether it is polluted rivers, tree felling or decline of pollinators, Wild Service invites you to discover the power in participation and community.
Join a celebration, reflection, provocation and discussion with key campaign voices Amy-Jane Beer, Jon Moses, Nadia Shaikh and Guy Shrubsole, plus special guests.
“A clarion cry for a mass reconnection with the British countryside.”
National Geographic Traveller
Supported by
BOARDMAN TASKER AWARD FOR MOUNTAIN LITERATURE SHORTLISTED AUTHORS EVENT
7 – 9pm Friday 22 Nov | Brewery Arts Malt Room
Tickets £13.50
On 17th May 1982 Peter Boardman and Joe Tasker were last seen on Mount Everest attempting to traverse The Pinnacles on the unclimbed North East Ridge. Their deaths marked the end of their contribution to a remarkable era in British mountaineering.
The Boardman Tasker Award for Mountain Literature highlights afresh the memory of Pete and Joe, and it also seeks to do more than just that. The BT Award recognises, and rewards outstanding literature concerned with the mountain environment: books which will in turn challenge and inspire their readers, perhaps to climb or explore the world of mountains, perhaps to write or even look at the world in a different way.
Alpine Rising by Bernadette McDonald
A ground-breaking examination of the contemporary mountaineering landscape. McDonald focuses on the pivotal roles played by Nepali and Pakistani climbers in shaping the future of high-altitude endeavours.
Headstrap by Nandini Purandare and Deepa Balsavar
Beautifully weaves together the rich cultural heritage and climbing traditions of the Sherpa and Bhutia community of Darjeeling. This book offers readers a captivating glimpse into the lives of the legendary mountaineers that populate the ‘Kathmandu of India’.
Perpetuating and refreshing the challenge and inspiration of mountains through literature is one way in which we seek to remember Pete and Joe. The winner is a book that Pete and Joe would be proud to be associated with.
In the forty-first year of the award, there were 32 entries with authors from Great Britain, Ireland, USA, Australia, Canada, India, Pakistan, Bulgaria, Italy, and Czechia.
The BT Award event will contain readings from the shortlisted authors, and they will be in conversation with Helen Mort, award winning poet, author and co-winner of the 2021 Boardman Tasker Award. Paul Pritchard, Chair of Judges, will announce the winner of the 2024 Boardman Tasker Award for Mountain Literature.
Behind Everest by Kate Nicholson
Ruth Mallory’s Story - First British Expeditions. The book skillfully weaves Ruth’s personal struggles and contributions into the often-murky history of women in early 20th-century mountaineering.
Royal Robbins by David Smart
Ruth Mallory’s Story - First British Expeditions. The book skillfully weaves Ruth’s personal struggles and contributions into the oftenmurky history of women in early 20thcentury mountaineering.
Mountains of Fire by Clive Oppenheimer
A captivating exploration of the intricate relationship between volcanoes and humanity. This indepth study seamlessly blends scientific insight with some rarely told historical narratives.
A Fine Line by Graham Zimmerman
A gripping and introspective account of the challenges faced by the modern alpinist. The book masterfully intertwines a thoughtprovoking exploration of ambition and courage with the pursuit of meaning in the face of a changing mountain and global landscape.
CHARMAINE WATKISS IN CONVERSATION
5.30 – 6.30pm Friday 22 Nov
Abbot Hall Gallery Tickets £6 / u18s £4.50
Charmaine Watkiss examines history and cultural tradition through the unifying language of plants and their properties. Inspired by archival research, Watkiss explores the interconnectivity between ancestry, botany and cosmology.
Through the process of drawing, Watkiss uses a variety of materials to form multi-layered narratives. Each work represents the intertwining of people and nature, exploring the wisdom and shared histories of both plant and human life.
Charmaine will be in conversation with Isabel Seligman, Monument Trust Curator of Modern and Contemporary Drawing at The British Museum.
“A tapestry of new possibilities…”
Kirsty Jukes
NESS NORTH
7.30 – 9pm Friday 22 Nov
The Yurt - presented by YETI Tickets £13.50 / u18s £10
Ness North unites the talents of musician Hayden Thorpe and writer/ Festival Patron Robert Macfarlane in a very special live performance––in music and spoken-word––of Thorpe’s dazzling, rich and strange new album, Ness, based on Macfarlane’s book of the same name. The collaboration between these two artists has its roots in the inaugural Music on Nature event in 2022; now the work returns to the Festival in its full, thrilling form.
Joining the pair will be clarinettistcomposer Jack McNeil and award winning bookshop owner Freya Blyth. Featuring stripped back performances of the songs from Ness alongside readings and an inconversation deep dive into the work.
“A
mesmerising sea of rich instrumentation, poetic lyrics and sumptuous vocals.”
Clash Music
Supported by Supported by
DR MAGGIE ADERIN-POCOCK
THE GLORIES OF THE COSMOS
9 – 10am Saturday 23 Nov
Brewery Arts Malt Room
Tickets £9.50 / u18s £7.50
NASA launched the James Webb Space Telescope in 2021, the first stunningly clear images of the very depths of the universe using Webb’s groundbreaking infrared technology were released in July 2022, forever changing the way we see and understand the origins of our existence. Bringing her passion as well as her expert knowledge of space and Webb in particular, Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock demystifies these stunning pictures, explaining what we’re seeing and learning from the world’s most powerful space telescope.
Maggie will be in conversation with Caz Graahm.
“Maggie Aderin-Pocock ... offers a stunning insight into the incredible cosmos that surrounds us alongside gorgeous images from NASA!” Sandi Toksvig
DEREK GOW HUNT FOR THE SHADOW WOLF
11am – 12pm Saturday 23 Nov
Brewery Arts Malt Room
Tickets £9.50 / u18s £7.50
As Derek worked to reintroduce the beaver, he began to hear stories of the wolf, both real and mythical, and his fascination with it grew. He pieced together fragments of information, stories and artefacts to reveal a shadowy creature that first walked proud through these lands and then was hunted to extinction. What Derek came to realise was that the underlying motives behind our hatred were actually rooted in power and profit. Hear about his quest to uncover the true nature of this magnificent creature, and uncover the mythology, mystery and history of the wolf.
Derek will be in conversation with author Lee Schofield.
“Terrific, life-lit moments come howling out of Hunt for the Shadow Wolf... Gow is never dull or worthy.”
The Telegraph
SIMON PARKER RIDE ACROSS AMERICA
11.45am – 12.45pm Saturday 23 Nov Kendal Parish Hall
Tickets £9.50 / u18s £7.50
Frustrated by the shallow headlines focusing only on Trump, guns and divisions, travel writer Simon Parker decided that to better understand the USA he would have to travel across it, slowly. Did the America of his teenage dreams really exist? And was it really as fractured as the headlines suggest? To find out, Simon cycled 4,373 miles through eleven states and numerous extreme weather events, via mountains and prairie lands, forests and freeways. Along the way he met hundreds of (extra)ordinary Americans behind the clickbait news posts to discover a nation whose portrayal has become vastly oversimplified.
Simon will be in conversation with Emily Chappell.
“Simon’s wanderlust, mental roller coaster and reactions to a fast-changing world had me enthralled in his journey.”
Mark Beaumont
JACK CORNISH THE LOST PATHS
1 – 2pm Saturday 23 Nov
Brewery Arts Malt Room
Tickets £9.50 / u18s £7.50
Hundreds of thousands of miles of paths reach into – and connect –communities across England and Wales. From Iron Age footsteps to Anglo-Saxon mercenary trails, through Railway Age tracks and Home Army defences, our land reveals a hidden history of us. But thousands of miles are still missing from our maps, and they will be lost forever unless they are urgently reclaimed. Fighting for these paths’ survival through his work with the Ramblers Association, Jack Cornish has spent years walking and recording these forgotten routes. Jack will be in conversation with Jamie Normington of Cumbria Wildlife Trust.
“A rallying cry to reclaim lost routes and preserve this precious resource for future generations.”
Walk Magazine
LEO HOULDING & ALASTAIR LEE EXPOSED
1.30 – 2.30pm Saturday 23 Nov
The Yurt - presented by YETI
Tickets £6
Exposed is a beautiful 200-page large-format book by photographer and filmmaker Alastair Lee, featuring images and words profiling the extraordinary life of one of the world’s finest climbers: Leo Houlding. Between them, Alastair and Leo have shared adventures across the globe, from Yosemite to the Antarctic and the depths of the Amazon jungle.
Join us for the launch of this limitededition book; an opportunity to hear a few words from Leo and Alastair, ask questions, then mingle and check out the freshly printed volume. Leo and Alastair will be signing books at the event.
“There are so many great images and stories that have never see the light of day, I couldn’t be more thrilled to be putting this out there.”
Alastair Lee
TOM PARFITT HIGH CAUCASUS
1.30 – 2.30pm Saturday 23 Nov
Kendal Parish Hall
Tickets £9.50 / u18s £7.50
A breath-taking memoir of Tom Parfitt’s remarkable 1,000 mile walk through Russia’s Caucasus region in search of solace and understanding after witnessing the Beslan school siege.
Having long been fascinated by the mountainous North Caucasus, Tom turned to his love of walking as a source of both recuperation and discovery. Starting a 1,000-mile journey through bear-haunted forests, across high altitude pastures and over the shoulders of Elbrus, Europe’s highest mountain, Tom finds companionship and respite in the homes of proud, little-known people.
Tom will be in conversation with Kate Rawles.
“A thrilling, profound masterpiece.”
Nicholas Crane
MIKE PALMER, ANDY AIREY & TIM OWEN THREE DADS WALKING
3 – 4pm Saturday 23 Nov
Brewery Arts Malt Room
Tickets £9.50 / u18s £7.50
In memory of their young daughters – Sophie, Beth and Emily – who took their own lives, three dads set out on a 300 mile journey across Britain, from the windswept Lakeland fells and Peak District dales to the open plains of the Eastern fens. Putting one foot in front of the other, they captured the hearts of the nation; laughing together, crying together, fighting to be heard.
Join Mike Palmer, Andy Airey and Tim Owen as they talk about the power of speaking out, of friendship, hope and blisters. The Three Dads bear a heavy load, but they walk on for us all, finding light in the wild after the darkest times.
“Truly heroic.”
Daniel Craig
LAURA LAKER POTHOLES AND PAVEMENTS
3.30 – 4.30pm Saturday 23 Nov
Kendal Parish Hall
Tickets £9.50 / u18s £7.50
Journalist Laura Laker tells the story of her odyssey around the UK - from the Cairngorms to Cornwall, from the Pennines to the South Wales coast - to see where the Natonal Cycle Network (NCN) began, and where it is now. Hear about this maddening and patchy network, and the similarly precarious politics and financing that make it what it is. In a country where 71% of trips are less than five miles, two thirds of Britons say they want to cycle more and doing so could help our climate, health and wellbeing. Laura is on a mission to see if we can make that dream a reality.
Laura will be in conversation with Immy Sykes.
“With a passion for both cycling and words, there are few more qualified to paint a picture of the NCN’s potential than Laura Laker”
Chris Boardman
RUTH ALLEN & ROB ST. JOHN WEATHERING
3.30 – 4.30pm Saturday 23 Nov
The Yurt - presented by YETI
Tickets £9.50 / u18s £7.50
In this conversation incorporating film and music, acclaimed author Ruth Allen and artist Rob St John will discuss Ruth’s book Weathering (and their collaboration that started towards the end of the book) as the beginning of a broad and fascinating discussion on what we can learn from rock, including how to live in fast times, how to listen differently, and the many ways that we can engage with the landscape to better express ourselves and support health and wellbeing. Ruth and Rob will take us on a journey through deep time and ancient landscapes, showing how geology can offer us a new way of thinking about our own grief, change and boundaries.
“This beautiful book so lyrically connects the weathering of our internal life with the erosion of deep time.”
Raynor
Winn
SATURDAY PROGRAMME
KAT HILL BOTHY
5 – 6pm Saturday 23 Nov
Brewery Arts Malt Room
Tickets £9.50 / u18s £7.50
A bothy is a remote hut you can’t reserve, with no electricity, mod-cons or running water. And it’s here you’ll find Kat Hill – kettle on, feet up and pen out. Leading us on a journey around the UK - from an active military training area in the far-north of Scotland to a fairy-tale cottage in Wales - join Kat on stage as she reveals the history of these wild mountain shelters and the people who visit them. With a historian’s insight and a rambler’s imagination, she explores the conflict between our desire to preserve isolated beauty and the urge to share it with others – embodied by the humble bothy. Kat will be in conversation with Dan Richards.
“An intelligent and thoughtful book that will have you reaching for your boots”
Cal Flyn
MAX LEONARD & HENRY IDDON MOUNTAIN STYLE
5.15 – 6.30pm Saturday 23 Nov
Kendal Parish Hall
Tickets £9.50 / u18s
£7.50
Mountain Style showcases the history, vintage style and visual heritage of British outdoor clothing, charting the evolution from woolly jumpers, army surplus and tweed into highly technical specialist gear.
From Everest 1953, via 1970s nylon and the 1980s colour explosion, to football terraces and ram raids: this is the story of how outdoor wear hit the mainstream and created style classics along the way.
Expect a display of clothing from the archives, an author talk with lots of amazing photos and a period soundtrack – with prizes for the bestdressed vintage gear lovers!
“A wonderful book... the photos I’ve seen bring back many memories.”
Chris Townsend
STEVE PEAT FORGED BY SPEED
6.30 – 7.30pm Saturday 23 Nov
Brewery Arts Malt Room
Tickets £13.50 / u18s £10.50
Born and raised in Sheffield, Steve Peat narrowly avoided going down the wrong track and instead chose to race cross-country mountain bikes before switching to downhill where he would compete alongside other young British racers including Rob Warner and the late, great, Jason McRoy.
Since then, Steve has competed against the greatest riders of all time, including Nicolas Vouilloz, Shaun Palmer and Greg Minnaar, and his name has become synonymous around the world with downhill mountain biking.
Steve shares his incredible story, from the Steel City to the top step of the world championship podium.
“Honest, compelling and funny, it is the autobiography of a British sporting legend.”
Jon Barton
MUSIC ON NATURE
8.30 – 10.30pm Saturday 23 Nov
Brewery Arts Theatre
Tickets £25
Join us for an enchanting evening of musical collaborations. We are delighted to welcome to the stage award-winning writer Helen Mort and singer songwriter Hayden Thorpe, who will perform together in a brand new collaboration that promises to blend lyrical mastery and music. Folk singer Iona Lane and Indian classical vocalist and composer Ranjana Ghatak. Combining music from both of their backgrounds creating a beautiful mix of ethereal goodness with awe and wonder of the natural world.
Festival patron Robert Macfarlane will be joined by field mycologist Giuliana Furci and composer/ clarinettist Jack McNeill to perform a series of beautiful arias which will be throughout the evening.
“A very special evening, I have never heard anything like it before. Please can we have more next year!”
Matthew Scott
Supported by
KATE NICHOLSON BEHIND EVEREST
10 – 11am Sunday 24 Nov
Brewery Arts Malt Room
Tickets £9.50 / u18s £7.50
A captivating exploration that intertwines the remarkable life of Ruth Mallory, wife of legendary Everest climber George Mallory, with Kate Nicholson’s own parallel journey a century later. Through examining Ruth’s attitude to danger a century ago, Kate explores our evolving attitudes towards risk and responsibility. Join Kate as she transcends the confines of Everest and 1924, offering the audience a profound glimpse into the ‘real’ story of the Mallorys. Through Ruth’s lens, explore the complexities of marriage, the indomitable spirit of early female climbers, and the enduring impact of historical events on individual lives.
Kate will be in conversation with Dan Richards.
“The key to George Mallory is his beloved wife Ruth, and yet until now Ruth has remained a great mystery. [This] biography is both vital and long overdue.”
Wade Davis
RUBY FREE RATHLIN: A WILD LIFE
11.45am – 12.45pm Sunday 24 Nov
Brewery Arts Malt Room
Tickets £9.50 / u18s £7.50
In 2021, Ruby Free, 21 got her dream job working on an RSPB reserve. But this position wasn’t for the faint hearted – it meant moving to live on Rathlin Island, off the County Antrim coast. Ruby thought she knew what wildness was but arriving on the island at the same time as a quarter of a million seabirds, her perception of it changed forever. This is the story of Ruby’s time on Rathlin. It’s also the story of what happened next – how Ruby took everything she’d learned through living on the island to the following stage of her life.
Ruby will be in conversation with Immy Sykes.
Rathlin
AMY HUDSON FINDING HAPPINESS
PEDAL BY PEDAL
1 – 2pm Sunday 24 Nov
The Yurt - presented by YETI
Tickets £9.50 / u18s £7.50
In this candid and uplifting memoir, Amy describes her three year journey into endurance cycling. After leaving her job as a mental health nurse, cycling started off as a way to cope with her mental health journey and quickly became a much bigger part of Amy’s life.
From cycling 2000km across Italy and France in 8 days, to winning a national silver national medal in the 24-hour time trial and raising over £15000 for mental health charities during the past three years, Amy is a true inspiration, showing what determination can lead to.
Amy will be in conversation with Jenny Graham.
“This book highlights the pure joy of experiencing nature but is expertly balanced with the reality that we could, and are, losing the battle to protect it.”
Megan McCubbin
“Open humble engaging account of mental struggles and a way to a fulfilled life relevant to us all.”
D. Allison
OTHER EVERESTS: ONE MOUNTAIN, MANY WORLDS
1.30 – 2.30pm Sunday 24 Nov
Brewery Arts Malt Room
Tickets £9.50 / u18s £7.50
Other Everests brings together new voices and perspectives on the historical and cultural significance of Everest in the modern world. The book shines a light on the overlooked role of local people and high-altitude workers, while also revealing the significant contributions women have made to climbing the mountain and writing its history. It explores the depiction of Everest in a range of media and investigates how the forces of nationalism and commercialism have shaped many different ‘Everests’.
Onstage there will be Jonathan Westaway, Peter Hansen, Jolynna Sinanan and Jenny Hall.
“An indispensable cornucopia of fresh Everest perspectives across a range of disciplines.”
Ed Douglas
Supported by
DAN RICHARDS & HELEN MORT WOMEN MOVING MOUNTAINS
3.15 – 4.15pm Sunday 24 Nov
Brewery Arts Malt Room
Tickets £9.50 / u18s
£7.50
Acclaimed writers Dan Richards and Helen Mort return to Kendal to talk about two groundbreaking women, Dorothy Pilley and Ethel Haythornthwaite. As well as identical dates (b.1894 - d.1986), Dorothy and Ethel shared a revolutionary spirit and zeal; Dorothy pioneering alpine routes, and Ethel campaigning to save the British Countryside.
Join us to celebrate these two extraordinary women.
“Sensational. An extraordinary biography of a truly extraordinary woman.”
Maxine Peake on Ethel
“Fizzes with energy, crackles with chutzpah - a groundbreaking account of a pioneering life”
Robert Macfarlane on Climbing Days
SUSAN SMILLIE THE HALF BIRD
5 – 6pm Sunday 24 Nov
Brewery Arts Malt Room
Tickets £9.50 / u18s £7.50
When Susan set sail from the southwest coast of England on her beloved sailboat, Isean, she was unaware this spontaneous departure would lead to a journey spanning several years and countries across the continent. Enduring both physical and navigational challenges, the other side of her story reveals a more important change – her inner journey – that took place. This wasn’t a challenge or a mid-life adventure; it was much gentler than that but much greater, too. She was seeking nothing less than an entirely different life, having left the land far behind to call the wild, unbiddable sea home.
Susan will be in conversation with Kate Rawles.
“A beautiful, wise and openhearted odyssey through life, loves and the sea”
Patrick Barkham
