Martin Brasier, author of Darwin’s Lost World: The Hidden History of Life on Earth, will talk about Darwin with Emma Darwin, author of A Secret Alchemy and a great-great-granddaughter of Charles Darwin and his wife Emma Wedgwood, in the bi-centenary year of Darwin’s birth and the 150th anniversary of the publication of his seminal work, On the Origin of Species.

Brasier’s engaging book is an account of the investigation by palaeontologists into whether the Cambrian explosion was really an outburst of life or only of fossils.

Emma Darwin’s ambitious novel is set during the War of the Roses, and retells the famous story of the Princess in the Tower.

Nick Butterworth is known the world over for his Percy the Park Keeper stories, The Whisperer, QPootle5 and Tiger. He has teamed up with his wife Annette to bring you stories about Jake, inspired by two dogs in particular, Jake and Sheppy. The Jake of these stories is a very special dog indeed: not only is he brilliant at football, but he's the best friend you could ever have. Hear all about his adventures, both real and fictional, in Nick and Annette's illustrated talk.

Sponsored by Critchleys

Join the popular author and illustrator Jan Fearnley as she talks about her latest book, The Baby Dragon Tamer. A big, loud, snorting-purple-smoke dragon arrives - and all he wants is TREASURE! But he hasn’t bargained on meeting a very bold Baby. Help Jan re-tell the story and watch her draw pictures from the book whilst she wears her very own dragon wings!

Sponsored by Critchleys

One of today's most celebrated illustrators, Shirley Hughes, author of the beloved Dogger and Alfie stories, always knew her daughter, Clara Vulliamy, would be an artist too. In this illustrated event, chaired by children’s book reviewer and expert Nicolette Jones, they talk about their new books Jonadab and Rita and The Lucky Wish Mouse. Chaired by Nicolette Jones

Sponsored by Critchleys

At least that's what they say.  Award-winning children's author Sean Taylor will be asking riddles, telling stories and reading from his new picture book in a light-hearted session for children aged 3-8.  Sean is the author of more than 20 books for children, including The Bopping Big Band, The Great Snake, When a Monster is Born and the Purple Class series.

Sponsored by Critchleys

Join award-winning author and illustrator Sam Lloyd and her lovable collection of monster puppets.  Help her to Calm Down Boris! and make fabulous friends with Wendy the Wide-Mouthed Frog. Say Hello Dudley and sit on your hands when Scary Sid is around.  An irresistible mix of puppets, story-telling and songs for 3-5 year olds.

Sponsored by Critchleys

Chris Higgins writes perceptively and sensitively for her teenage audience. Her books feature believable characters and plots that reflect a profound knowledge of the issues that affect young adults. Join Chris to talk about writing, reading and life.

Sponsored by Critchleys

Attila the Hun – godless barbarian and near-mythical warrior king – has become a byword for mindless ferocity.
His brutal attacks smashed through the frontiers of the Roman Empire in a savage wave of death and destruction.
Christopher Kelly goes in search of the real Attila the Hun, revealing the history of an astute politician and first-rate military commander who brilliantly exploited the strengths and weaknesses of the Roman Empire.

Sponsored by Blackwell

Best-selling and bushily bearded Philip Ardagh will be talking about what turned him into the author he is today (quite apart from the extra large meals and the total lack of shaving). He will be explaining what inspired him to write, what he loves about writing and why being absolutely useless at everything else is a godsend. With photographs, readings and audience participation, you can be sure of an event to remember with plenty of laughs along the way. Find out more about Philip’s Eddie Dickens and about-to-be launched Grubtown series...

Sponsored by Critchleys

Come and enjoy a traditional carvery Sunday Lunch in Hall at Christ
Church under the direction of Head Chef, Chris Simms and Hall Manager, Andrew Hedges.

Make your choice of Roast Beef of Roast Chicken with all the trimmings from the carvery. This will be followed by a traditional British
Pudding, served to your table with coffee to follow. Small portions of
the same menu are available for children under 10 years of age.

The Hall reflects Christ Church’s long association with children’s
literature. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland was inspired and written
in this college by Lewis Carroll. His portrait and the Alice Window can
both be seen here. More recently, the Hall was used as the model for the dining hall of Hogwarts in the Harry Potter films.

The carvery lunch will be served in three sittings;

Event No: 847 12.30pm
Event No: 848 1.15pm
Event No: 849 1.45pm

Please make any special dietary requirements or food allergies known
when booking tickets. The Buttery Bar, adjacent to Hall and decorated
with rowing memorabilia, will be open for the purchase of drinks and
wines from the Christ Church Cellar from 11.30am.

Two Course Adults’ Menu £16.00
Two Course Children’s Menu £8.00

Come and enjoy a traditional carvery Sunday Lunch in Hall at Christ
Church under the direction of Head Chef, Chris Simms and Hall Manager, Andrew Hedges.

Make your choice of Roast Beef of Roast Chicken with all the trimmings from the carvery. This will be followed by a traditional British
Pudding, served to your table with coffee to follow. Small portions of
the same menu are available for children under 10 years of age.

The Hall reflects Christ Church’s long association with children’s
literature. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland was inspired and written
in this college by Lewis Carroll. His portrait and the Alice Window can
both be seen here. More recently, the Hall was used as the model for the dining hall of Hogwarts in the Harry Potter films.

The carvery lunch will be served in three sittings;

Event No: 847 12.30pm
Event No: 848 1.15pm
Event No: 849 1.45pm

Please make any special dietary requirements or food allergies known
when booking tickets. The Buttery Bar, adjacent to Hall and decorated
with rowing memorabilia, will be open for the purchase of drinks and
wines from the Christ Church Cellar from 11.30am.

Two Course Adults’ Menu £16.00
Two Course Children’s Menu £8.00

Come and enjoy a traditional carvery Sunday Lunch in Hall at Christ
Church under the direction of Head Chef, Chris Simms and Hall Manager, Andrew Hedges.

Make your choice of Roast Beef of Roast Chicken with all the trimmings from the carvery. This will be followed by a traditional British
Pudding, served to your table with coffee to follow. Small portions of
the same menu are available for children under 10 years of age.

The Hall reflects Christ Church’s long association with children’s
literature. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland was inspired and written
in this college by Lewis Carroll. His portrait and the Alice Window can
both be seen here. More recently, the Hall was used as the model for the dining hall of Hogwarts in the Harry Potter films.

The carvery lunch will be served in three sittings;

Event No: 847 12.30pm
Event No: 848 1.15pm
Event No: 849 1.45pm

Please make any special dietary requirements or food allergies known
when booking tickets. The Buttery Bar, adjacent to Hall and decorated
with rowing memorabilia, will be open for the purchase of drinks and
wines from the Christ Church Cellar from 11.30am.

Two Course Adults’ Menu £16.00
Two Course Children’s Menu £8.00

For centuries, an interest in clothes has been dismissed as the trivial pursuit of vain empty-headed women. But clothes matter, says Man Booker-shortlisted novelist Linda Grant, because what we choose to dress ourselves in defines our identity. Celebrating the pleasures of adornment, this intriguing book offers a thinking woman's guide to our relationship with what we wear: why we want to look our best and why it matters.

Now the 12 best, chosen from over 1,000 entrants, will compete in a grand final compered by Jeremy Paxman. Finalists will recite a selection of poems in front of the Sheldonian audience, television cameras and most importantly a panel of expert judges (including the author Philip Pullman), who will choose an Off By Heart champion. This promises to be an unmissable event – warm, funny and compelling, it should have universal appeal.

In May BBC 2 will air a 90-minute documentary, made by independent production company Silver River, following the 12 finalists as they prepare for and compete in the final. An anthology of all the poems recited by the finalists, as well as other favourites to learn by heart, will be published to coincide with the competition and documentary.

As editor of Rough Guides, Fran Sandham has already travelled through more than 40 countries. Traversa tells his story, when inspired by the legendary crossings of the great explorers, he left the daily grind of London to undertake an extraordinary adventure, walking 3,000 miles across an entire continent from Namibia to Zanzibar. A classical account of one man’s struggle to test himself against nature, the book is both uplifting and thoroughly engaging.

Sponsored by Cox & Kings

The renowned Design series grew out of an exhibition and its catalogue at the Fry Art Gallery, Saffron Waldon, celebrating the centenaries of Edward Bawden and Eric Ravilious. Peyton Skipwith’s and Brian Webb’s latest book on Curwen Press covers the work of the groundbreaking printing house, which listed many of the early 20th century’s best-known designers, artists and illustrators among its contributors.

David Gentleman has designed British postage stamps and a platform-length mural on the London Underground. There have been many exhibitions of his landscape watercolours and architectural lithographs; his posters have been carried on marches protesting against the wars in Iraq and Gaza.

Here he, Brian Webb and Peyton Skipworth talk about the design of the past and present and its impact on our lives.

Sponsored by Belgravia Gallery

Are good guys always good? Do you secretly cheer for the dastardly villains rather than the dashing heroes? The authors of the action-packed H.I.V.E. and Hero.com series will be locked in fierce debate of 'Heroes vs. Villains' and you, the audience, will judge the winner! Come and cast your vote in this battle of wits.

Sponsored by Oxford University Press
Sponsored by Critchleys

Join award-winning author and illustrator Sam Lloyd and her lovable collection of monster puppets.  Help her to Calm Down Boris! and make fabulous friends with Wendy the Wide-Mouthed Frog. Say Hello Dudley and sit on your hands when Scary Sid is around.  An irresistible mix of puppets, story-telling and songs for 3-5 year olds.

Sponsored by Critchleys

Join author and illustrator Kristina Stephenson as she acts out the heroic story of Sir Charlie Stinky Socks. He must bravely face ghastly ghouls, headless ghosts and a dark danger lurking in the cellar in order to retrieve a princess’s teddy bear. Join in with an arts and crafts session to make the characters from Kristina’s books.

Sponsored by Critchleys

Join Jeremy Strong for his brand new show, the Big Jam Explosion, and hear all about the creation of his best-loved characters, as well as how Jeremy went from donut-stuffer to multi-award winning writer.  With his unique brand of silliness, the Big Jam Explosion is a hilarious treat for boys and girls aged 6+.

Sponsored by Critchleys

Until recently the British economy appeared sound and prosperous. But, thanks to the Credit Crunch and the dramatic crisis in the banking system, we are now facing the biggest peacetime economic decline since the 1930s. Who is to blame – the banks, the regulators, or we the public? Debating this issue will be David Smith, Economics Editor of The Sunday Times, and author of Free Lunch’, Claudio Cornini, director of Cornhill & Harvest and a man with 35 years of banking experience around the world, and Tetsuya Ishikawa, whose new book, How I Caused the Credit Crunch, is a fascinating insider’s fictionalised account of working at the cutting edge of the global economy.

Supported by Ian and Carol Sellars

Join in the celebrations for the 40th Anniversary of the world's bestselling picture book, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, with a fun, interactive event for children aged 2 and up. The 45-minute event will include lots of games, songs and activities, all themed around The Very Hungry Caterpillar, and will end with an interactive telling of the story. Presented by professional storyteller Justine de Mierre and supported by Puffin Books.

Sponsored by Critchleys

How important is it that historical fiction is based on true historical fact? Does it really matter if the author uses a poetic licence to colour the facts a little in order
to give us a good read? Is it enough to set the scene reasonably accurately and then add a few frills to make it more dramatic, or
do readers feel short changed if they discover that the writer has taken historical licence? These are some of the questions that Harry Sidebottom (Warrior of Rome) and Robyn Young (Requiem) will address when they meet at the Festival to ask if an imaginative fictional story with a compelling narrative is more important than accurate historical facts?

Sponsored by Blackwell

Husband and wife team D J Taylor and Rachel Hore come together to discuss their latest novels, The Glass Painter’s Daughter and Ask Alice. D J Taylor writes of a pretty young woman who travels apprehensively across the American prairies on a whim, then takes his readers through the brightly coloured world of London’s high life during the 1920’s where she becomes a queen among society hostesses. However she has a secret, whose roots lie five thousand miles away.

Rachel Hore’s heroine is a peripatetic musician who is summoned home to London when her father has a stroke, only to find herself in charge of the family stained-glass business. When asked to restore a
shattered window, her research into the window’s origins uncovers a fascinating and moving story that resonates with her own life.

Chaired by Lucy Atkins author, journalist and book critic for The Sunday Times.

Calling all valiant knights and questors! Six mystical beasts are guarding magical golden armour for the evil wizard Malvel. In this interactive event, help the good wizard Aduro to solve the cryptic puzzles and free the beasts from Malvel’s evil spell. Beast Quest goodies for all participants!

Sponsored by Critchleys

Don't miss this rare chance to meet best-selling author Malorie Blackman, who will be in Oxford to introduce the fourth title in her provocative and stimulating Noughts & Crosses sequence: Double Cross. This series has won many awards, including the Fantastic Fiction Award: the only award with a short list - and winner - entirely chosen by teenagers. Noughts & Crosses was also voted as one of the nation's 100 favourite books in the BBC Big Read survey.

Sponsored by Critchleys

Summer 2008: A double-digit lead in the polls. Victory in the London Mayoral election and the Crewe and Nantwich by-election. Big wins in the local elections. A government on the back foot, if not on the ropes. Things may have changed a little since, but the Conservative Party will go into the next General Election with a real chance of forming the government. So what is it that sets them apart from Labour (and the Lib Dems)? What would they do in power? What, in short, is the big Conservative idea? Join Ed Vaizey MP (Conservative), Iain Dale (Conservative blogger), Peter Hitchens (Mail on Sunday)

Whether we live on an island or merely fancy escaping to one, we can all learn something from Peter Conrad’s thought-provoking book – Islands.
With his customary wide range of references and quick wit, Peter Conrad visits every corner of the globe to explain why islands appeal to us and the role that islands play in our dreams and nightmares. In doing so he covers everything from the myth of Atlantis to Watteau’s erotic Cytherea, Prospero’s magical kingdom and Nelson Mandela’s prison. Peter Conrad talks to Sunday Times’ cultural critic Bryan Appleyard.

Sponsored by Thames & Hudson

The highly acclaimed, award winning young American author Anthony Doerr, who is considered one of life’s natural story tellers, will be attending the Sunday Times Oxford Literary Festival.

Granta named him one of the top 25 young American novelists a few years ago and his first collection of short stories, The Shell Collector, won the Barnes a& Noble Discover Prize.
His short stories and novels are inexplicably diverse and unpredictable and show an amazing understand of humankind and of nature, by which Doerr is absorbed. He is writer who explores the human dilemma in all its manifestations – longing, grieving, indecision, heartbreak and slow, slow recuperation.
He is also a writer who will undoubtedly stamp his mark on the world of literature. Anthony Doerr talks to Rakesh Surampudi, Cultural Officer, US Embassy, London.

British relations with Russia are at their lowest ebb since the Cold War. Alexander Litvinenko and polonium, the British Ambassador and “Putin Youth”, espionage, Georgia, and the gas supply have all been recent sources of tension. At the same time, Russian oligarchs are becoming more visible in British life, from football to Fleet Street. Is there a new Cold War brewing? Should we be worried about the lack of press freedom and political debate in Russia? Or is such a thesis exaggerated? Is Russia a threat – or is it threatened?  With Edward Lucas, Dr Alex Pravda a University Lecturer in Russian and East European Politics at University of Oxford and Anatoly Danilitsky a CEO at the National Reserve Corporation. Chaired by John Lloyd (Financial Times, University of Oxford Reuters Institute)

Join James Walton, host of BBC Radio 4’s The Write Stuff, in a literary quiz to celebrate Faber’s 80th birthday celebrations. In a team of five, you will fight it out with The Sunday Times and The Writers’ teams. Prizes awarded every two rounds and with a fabulous overall winners’ prize all from Faber.

James’s latest publication, Sonnets, Bonnets and Bennetts, is the ultimate literary quiz book, and includes many of the best-loved rounds from The Write Stuff on subjects such as literary feuds, famous literary mistakes and double entendre in classical literature.