A two-mile circular tour of the Thames and its backwaters in the footsteps of novelists, diarists, poets, and travellers. Citing numerous authors of past and present, the enduring importance of Oxford’s waterways is explained by local historian, author, and publisher, Mark Davies. The route is generally flat, but with some steps.

Complimentary drink at Aziz Pandesia, Folly Bridge (5 minutes’ walk from Christ Church) at the end of the walk.

Come along and help The Roald Dahl Museum’s very own Oompa Loompas to do some noisy storytelling from Roald Dahl’s Revolting Rhymes and Dirty Beasts. You might also get quite revolting and dirty yourselves (don’t tell the grown-ups), joining in with messy mask-making , squiffing stories and creative crafts.

Already the world’s bestselling history-book series for children, Horrible Histories is now it is all set for TV fame. Join best-selling Horrible Histories author Terry Deary, in conversation with Larry Rickard, who helped to bring this famous name to the screen and stars in the series. Hear how they adapted these funny and irreverent books to create what is sure to become another British comedy classic, and be the first to see exclusive sketches and footage from the series before it is aired this year. This is a perfect event for all the family.

Sponsored by Critchleys

The generation of ruling-class young people who lived in England between 1918 and 1940 created one of the most extraordinary youth cults in British history. As pleasure seeking bohemian party-givers and blue-blooded socialites, they romped through the newspaper gossip columns of the 1920s.

Some called them the ‘bright young people’, Gertrude Stein named them ‘the lost generation’. Evelyn Waugh wrote about them and Cecil Beaton photographed them. But their quest for pleasure came at a price. Beneath the veneer of hedonism, parties and practical jokes was a tormented generation brought up in the shadow of war. Lucy Moore and DJ Taylor come together to give an insight into the period after the trauma of the First World War and those years that led to the Second. Chaired by Karen Robinson, author, reviewer and Supplements Editor of The Sunday Times

Do journalists reporting from the front line of major world events influence government agendas? What role do journalists play in the formulation of government policies, if any, and do they help create a public mood or reactions?

Alastair Lack, who worked for the BBC World Service for almost 30 years as a presenter, producer and editor for a wide range of current affairs and arts programmes, chairs a panel of three distinguished and intrepid foreign correspondents – among them the award-winning Sunday Times foreign correspondent Christina Lamb - who have reported from the front line.

This engaging and original new book takes readers on an epic voyage into the literary representation of a woman who has wielded a great influence on Western cultural consciousness for more than three millennia. Laurie Maguire, professor of English at Oxford University, calls on a wide and diverse variety of literary sources to explore the ways in which Helen’s story has been told and retold from the ancient world to the modern day.

Sponsored by Blackwell

2009 sees the 20th anniversary of Elmer, everyone's favourite patchwork elephant! Created by David McKee, Elmer is known and adored by children worldwide, and is the lovable star of numerous colourful picture books featuring all his jungle friends. Come and find out about his latest antics, meet Elmer himself - and you might even get to share some of his birthday cake! Party packs for all children attending.

Sponsored by Critchleys

Meet Bob the Builder and find out about his ‘Reduce, Re-use, Recycle’ motto. Whether it’s gardening with Wendy, tidying up with Muck or re-using rubbish to make new things, Bob is always environmentally aware. Travelling all the way from Sunflower Valley, Bob and storyteller Liz Fost will teach you how to look after the planet, recycle things around the house and re-use them rather than throw them away. With goodie bags for budding builders. Numbers are limited to 30 children, so book early to avoid disappointment!

Sponsored by Critchleys

Meet two successful children’s authors with different approaches to writing. Helena prefers stories set in real life. Her books have covered such themes as starting secondary school, dealing with bullies and being burgled. Penny likes to mix and match fantasy and reality. She has written about ghosts, evil dog-catchers and talking elephants. Which do you prefer? Come and meet the authors and join in what promises to be a lively and humorous debate.

Sponsored by Oxford University Press
Sponsored by Critchleys

What is art and where did it begin? Why do we make it and why does it change? These are some of the many questions that Julian Bell considers in this new story of art for the 21st century.
Celebrated painter and author Julian Bell uses a wide range of objects – both familiar and less well known – to reveal how art is a product of our shared experience, how, like a mirror, it can reflect the human and our most basic cultural preoccupations.

Sponsored by Thames & Hudson

Come and have some musical fun! Genevieve Helsby, author of My First Classical Music Book and Meet the Instruments of the Orchestra! (published by Naxos Books), teams up with two professional musicians to present a children’s concert for all the family to enjoy. With famous tunes to spot, games to play, and the chance to join in on percussion instruments, there’s something for everyone.

N.B. Bring a silly hat and a piece of percussion! (Anything that makes a noise – even a saucepan lid and a wooden spoon... but don’t worry if you forget – you won’t be left empty-handed!)

Sponsored by Critchleys

Ever wondered why the floors in our terraced houses are different heights? Did you know you can date a building by its window sills? Harry Mount, author of Amo, Amas, Amat, takes us on an engrossing, enlightening and wide-ranging tour of the nation's architecture, exploring the quirks, foibles and tiny details that make our buildings unique, and revealing the fascinating stories and anecdotes behind them along the way.

Sponsored by Purcell Miller Tritton

Join Jason Bradbury, presenter of Channel 5's hugely popular Gadget Show, and an ultra-cool robot cast for the Robot Roadshow and hear Jason discuss his brand new book Dot Robot.  A slick cyber-thriller, Dot Robot sees the addictive world of online gaming brought to life in a fast-paced novel for readers aged 9+. 

Sponsored by Critchleys

Minty is delighted – she has found her very own talking toy bear called Tink! But Tink is to be a present for her baby brother, so she must think of a way to save him for herself. Emma Chichester Clark, the popular and prolific author, illustrator and anthologist, is considered one of England's most distinguished picture-book creators, whose work stands comparison with Beatrix Potter, Edward Ardizzone, Tony Ross, and Quentin Blake - her former teacher. Emma will be reading from her new book and giving an illustrated talk aimed at all the family.

Sponsored by Critchleys

Meet Bob the Builder and find out about his ‘Reduce, Re-use, Recycle’ motto. Whether it’s gardening with Wendy, tidying up with Muck or re-using rubbish to make new things, Bob is always environmentally aware. Travelling all the way from Sunflower Valley, Bob and storyteller Liz Fost will teach you how to look after the planet, recycle things around the house and re-use them rather than throw them away. With goodie bags for budding builders. Numbers are limited to 30 children, so book early to avoid disappointment!

Sponsored by Critchleys

Have you seen The DFC yet? This brand-new weekly comic took the children’s publishing world by storm earlier this year and some of its biggest and best contributors are coming to Oxford to tell you how they do it! Hear from David Fickling, publisher and creator of The DFC, as he introduces you to the writers and illustrators who help to make this exciting and totally original comic. All participating children will receive a free copy of The DFC!

Sponsored by Critchleys

Internationally acclaimed Booker Prize –winner AS Byatt brings us The Children’s Book, a gripping panoramic novel of family secrets set against a backdrop of the bohemian, artistic late-Victorian and Edwardian world.

The vivid, rich and moving saga, played out against the great, ripppling tides of the day, takes the reader from the Kent marshes to Paris and Munich and the trenches of the Somme. This is the time when a whole generation is heading for darkness beyond anything they have ever known. In their innocence they are betrayed unintentionally by the adults who loved them. AS Byatt talks to Sunday Times Fiction Editor Peter Kemp.

Reading Quest, an Oxford-based charity aimed to create young readers, offers a hands-on experience for children aged 3-11 and their parents / carers . Workshop activities will include storytelling, games and activities, role-play with costumes, experiments with illustration techniques, a treasure hunt through books and stories, and insights for both adults and children into the double-dutch world of printed symbols.

Three talented writers, whose debut novels mark them out as literary stars of the future, discuss their own and each other’s work and the many challenges a fiction writer faces today. Francesca Kay’s An Equal Stillness was selected by BBC Radio 4 as book of the week.
Written almost as a biography, this novel touches on the conflicts between artistic passion and familial duty, the nature of creativity, love and motherhood. Anthony Quinn’s fascinating first novel The Rescue Man is not about a person, but a place – the city of Liverpool. It is the buildings that seethe with urgent energy while the human passions remain muted. Brian Chikwava’s Harare North centres on the plight of an unnamed protagonist who arrives in a Brixton squat
carrying nothing but a cardboard suitcase full of memories and an email address for his childhood friend. Caine Prize-winner Brian Chikwava tackles head-on the realities of life as a refugee. It is an
arresting account of London as experienced by Africa’s dispossessed.

Sponsored by The Arts Club, London

Few people know what goes on inside the Vatican, but in this remarkable book Vatican insider and accomplished church historian Michael Collins is able to offer a unique behind-the-scenes look at the world's smallest nation and the spiritual centre of the Catholic Church. Daily life, the day-to-day running of the state, the art collections and other priceless treasures rarely seen by the public – all are explored in this intriguing guide.

Sponsored by Cox & Kings

The bestselling author of Confessions of a Bad Mother and Confessions of a Failed Grown-Up is back - and in top form. Stephanie Calman moves on from bad motherhood and failed grown-upness to the ultimate in tricky relationships: that of mother and daughter. In typically candid style, she offers a painfully acute examination of this most problematic relationship, leavening her research with often wicked humour. As a generation finds itself parenting its parents while still trying to look after its children, she has – once again – hit the zeitgeist firmly over the head.

Come and have some fun with Postman Pat and Jess to celebrate the launch of his new Special Delivery Service. Postman Pat has a special delivery to make, but there are some obstacles in his way. With the help of storyteller Liz Fost and some audience participation, will Pat make his delivery on time? Take home your very own Postman Pat goodie bag too! Numbers are limited to 30 children, so book early to avoid disappointment!

Sponsored by Critchleys

Step into the late Cretaceous period, when dinosaurs roamed the earth, with illustrator Mike Spoor. Two friends fall through an ancient beach cave into a world of dinosaurs in this exciting interactive event with games and stories all about your favourite prehistoric giants.

Sponsored by Oxford University Press
Sponsored by Critchleys

Come and say Raaaaaahhhh with Ian Whybrow, creator of Harry and the Bucketful of Dinosaurs, at this special 10th-anniversary event which promises to be fun and interactive with songs and games for ages 5+.

Sponsored by Critchleys

Poet Owen Sheers, introduces a preview screening of A Poet’s Guide to Britain, his new series for BBC Four’s Poetry Season this May.

Passionate that poems, and particularly poems of place, not only affect people as individuals, but can have the power to mark and define a collective experience, Sheers has chosen six powerful works for the series which have become part of the way the British landscape is viewed.

From Matthew Arnold's Dover Beach to From Upon Westminster Bridge by William Wordsworth, he uncovers their history, how they work and the nature and reach of each poems influence and legacy.

Reading Quest, an Oxford-based charity aimed to create young readers, offers a hands-on experience for children aged 3-11 and their parents / carers . Workshop activities will include storytelling, games and activities, role-play with costumes, experiments with illustration techniques, a treasure hunt through books and stories, and insights for both adults and children into the double-dutch world of printed symbols.

We all want a good life, but how much thought do we give to a good death? Great strides have been taken to make death less painful, but there is more to a good death than freedom from pain. Radio 4’s Today presenter John Humphrys argues powerfully that if we accept that people should be able to choose how they live, they should also be able to choose how they die. There are so many things we can do to prepare ourselves – both practically and philosophically – but most of us are not even aware of them. John Humphrys talks to Fiona Lindsay – formerly with the RSC’s festivals and events. Fiona
has interviewed many of the leading artists and actors.

Author of lives of Lytton Strachey, George Bernard Shaw and Augustus John, Michael Holroyd is one of Britain’s finest ever biographers. In his outstanding new book, he offers an epic yet intimate portrait of two of Victorian England’s greatest theatrical talents – the radiant Ellen Terry and the legendary actor-manager Henry Irving – whose lives, both together and apart, rivalled in intensity many of the Shakespearean dramas that they performed on stage.

In 1945 four million servicemen were demobbed and sent home after the Second World War. The majority returned to women – mothers, wives, fiancés, daughters – who had no preparation or advice about how to cope with men changed and often damaged by six and a half years of fighting. Some tales are heartbreaking, others are funny but all are fresh because few people have ever discussed what happened when the ‘stranger’ came home. Julie Summers’s lively illustrated talk will bring to life this neglected part of our history.

Named Foreign Correspondent of the Year a remarkable four times, The Sunday Times’s Christina Lamb is one of the most talented and intrepid journalists at work today. This fine collection of reportage tells the human stories behind some of the most important world events of the past 16 years, from Zimbabwe to Afghanistan. 'Hers is the humane face of her hard profession: candid, modest and brave. She is clear-sighted without cynicism, and amazingly unscarred by all she has experienced. This book is a fine testament to her courage and compassion' - Colin Thubron.

Supported by Ian and Carol Sellars

Come and have some fun with Postman Pat and Jess to celebrate the launch of his new Special Delivery Service. Postman Pat has a special delivery to make, but there are some obstacles in his way. With the help of storyteller Liz Fost and some audience participation, will Pat make his delivery on time? Take home your very own Postman Pat goodie bag too! Numbers are limited to 30 children, so book early to avoid disappointment!

Sponsored by Critchleys

If you’d like to become an honorary fairy and find out all about the best fairy school around, come along and meet Titania Woods.  Come dressed in your best fairy outfit and be prepared to get creative.  There will be competitions, storytelling and lots, lots more!

Sponsored by Critchleys

You probably thought aliens came down to Earth with a view to taking over the planet - but, no, they simply want to steal your pants! And why were dinosaurs wiped out? Did underpants play a part in history?  Come and meet Ben Cort, illustrator of bestselling Aliens Love Underpants and Dinosaurs Love Underpants, and be prepared for a very special inter-galactic, pant-loving mystery-guest appearance too!  Bring along the most “unusual underpants” you can find or make – pant-tastic prizes for the best!

Sponsored by Critchleys

“I see it all. I see the posters and the food-queues, and the castor oil and the rubber truncheons and the machine-guns squirting out of bedroom windows. Is it going to happen? No knowing. Some days it's impossible to believe it. Some days I say to myself that it's just a scare got up by the newspapers. Some days I know in my bones there's no escaping it.” Orwell's 1939 novel, Coming Up For Air, was written with war looming, a war created in part by political tensions that were the shrapnel of a global economic crash. With a credit crunch and global downturn now upon us, will political crisis follow? Is it going to happen, or is there some way of escaping it? Join Will Hutton (The Observer, The Work Foundation), Mark Thompson (editor, Television Across Europe: More Channels, Less Independence; author, The White War)

The 99th Archbishop of York and Primate of all England, Dr John Sentamu is the country’s first black Archbishop. Born in 1949 in Uganda, the 6th of 13th children, Dr Sentamu was educated at Makarere University, Kampala, and Selwyn College, Cambridge. A judge in Uganda in the mid 1970s, Dr Sentamu fled the persecution of Idi Amin’s regime.

Previously Bishop of Stepney, and Bishop of Birmingham, Dr Sentamu became Archbishop of York in 2005. He was advisor to the Stephen Lawrence murder enquiry (1997-1999) and Chair of the Damilola Taylor Murder Review (2002 –2003). One of the most admired and outspoken commentators in Britain today, Dr Sentamu will deliver the first annual lecture on Englishness.

Supported by Wedgwood

How do you keep finding fresh ideas for songs? What is a middle eight? And how do you come up with the 'hook' that record companies are looking for? This creative workshop with poet Jenny Lewis and musician/songwriter Robin Bennett will look at all these questions and give you the chance to flex your songwriting talents in a fun, relaxed atmosphere. There will also be an opportunity to perform some of the results at an event later in the evening. Jenny Lewis is an award-winning poet, children's author and songwriter who wrote and sang with the legendary Vashti Bunyan in the 1960s (Just Another Diamond Day - the T-Mobile song). She teaches poetry at Oxford University. Robin Bennett is a composer and musician who started the Truck Festival in Steventon in 1999. He is lead singer of the iconic band Goldrush and also writes as part of a solo project, Dusty Sound System.

There will be a performance in the Music Room, starting at 8.00pm, for invited guests of the workshop participants to hear some of the results of the workshop and for participants to play their own songs or read their lyrics (one song or poem per person!) A piano, guitars and PA system will be provided.

As one of Britain’s foremost poets, Ben Okri is rightly acclaimed for his use of language. A Booker Prize-winning novelist, he brings both poetry and story together in a fascinating new form, using writing and image pared down to their essentials.

Tales of Freedom allows us to discover many colourful characters, including Pinprop, the slave who holds the keys to the universe in his quirky hands, and a black Russian helping to film a new version of Eugene Onegin. This stimulating book offers a haunting necklace
of images that flash and sparkle as the light shines on them.

Award-winning frontline journalist and documentary filmmaker James Brabazon is currently working on his journalist memoir, which he will discuss during the Festival as a ‘work in progress’. Having reported in more than 60 countries, investigating, filming and directing in the world’s most hostile environments, he has much to say.

James Brabazon first gained an international profile as the only journalist to film the Liberian LURD rebel group fighting to overthrow President Charles Taylor. During the past six years he has worked on independent commissions with Discovery; BBC2 (for whom he made the current-affairs series The Violent Coast in West Africa), and Channel 4, where he has made fourteen.

In 1892, identical twins Agnes and Margaret Smith made one of the most important scriptural finds of modern times. Combing the library of St. Catherine’s monastery at Mount Sinai, they found a palimpsest: beneath a life of female saints, they detected what remains to this day among the earliest known copies of the Gospels, written in ancient Syriac, the language of Jesus. In her enthralling book, Janet Soskice takes us on a journey in search of these Victorian adventurers and their remarkable discovery.

Sponsored by Cox & Kings

What is the future of rural England? How serious is the threat posed by the closure of post offices, pubs and schools and the concreting over of the countryside for development? Are those who object to these threats merely nostalgic Little Englanders who should adapt to progress and an ever-changing landscape? This issue will be discussed by the politician, author and journalist Roy Hattersley, Tom Oliver, who is Head of Rural Policy for the Campaign for Rural England (CPRE), and Richard Askwith, journalist and author of The Lost Village.

Supported by Ian and Carol Sellars

Do some people possess extraordinary – even paranormal – mental abilities, such as the ability to read another’s mind, or move an object solely by the power of thought? Are some people psychic? This session will both amaze and educate you! Come and be astonished by some remarkable mental powers, and then learn the truth! Stephen Law is a London University philosopher and the author of The Philosophy Files and The Philosophy Files 2. Ian Rowland is a professional magician.

Organized in conjunction with Centre for Inquiry UK

The Festival Dinner once again takes place in the magnificent Hall of Christ Church.

Paddy Ashdown has had an extraordinarily varied and dramatic career - he has been, in turn, an officer in the Royal Marine Commandos, a member of the Special Boat Service, a diplomat, an MP, leader of his party and an international peacemaker in war-torn Bosnia. In his fascinating autobiography, A Fortunate Life, he writes with both passion and wit about some of the most remarkable moments in his career.

In her sweeping first novel, All Nice Girls, broadcaster and journalist Joan Bakewell has written a poignant and involving story of heroic deeds, illicit love and painful separations. It is 1942, and to help the war effort, the Ashworth Grammar School for Girls signs up for the Merchant Navy’s Ship Adoption Scheme. When the captain of the adopted ship and his men visit the school, they set up a chain of events that will disrupt all their lives and the lives of the next generation.

Sponsored by Cox & Kings