Free Talks & Event Programme
What's happening on the day?
Event Schedule
Throughout the day we have a packed schedule full of exciting and informative sessions for all attendees.
Free Talks
Theme: Oxford Aspirations
11.00 – Event opened by Chewe Munkonge
The first black mayor of Oxford.
11.30 – Read, Dream Grow: the importance of encouraging children to read for pleasure
Chaired by Sophie Hiscock, formerly of the Story Museum and now CEO of First Story with Nancy Mudenyo Hunt founder and CEO of the Nasio Trust.
12.15-12.55 – Inspiring Oxford by sharing cultures and connecting
The launch of A Confluence of Songs and Stories by Ann Schofield and Sylvia Vetta. Telling the untold story of Confluence Café which meets third Saturday at St Luke’s Canning Crescent & welcomes refugees and asylum seekers and all communities to share their languages and cultures. The book launch includes Sufi poetry sung by Nuzhat Abbas and African music by Shakhosi. More words and music with dance by, German born, Lizzy Spight accompanied by Dr Malcolm Atkins on keyboard & French born, Bruno Guastalla, on cello (Oxford Violins).
13.00 – The Lives of People Written out of History
Chaired by Ann Schofield former Dean of Ruskin College with a background in applied social studies and women’s studies, she has developed a specialist research interest in the historical role of women as agents of revolutionary change. Ann chaired the second Women’s Liberation conference in the UK.
Ingrid Sharp Professor of German Cultural and Gender History at the University of Leeds. The history of female activism, organised women’s movements especially around the period of the First World War and peace history, including Conscientious Objectors and feminist pacifism.
Pamela Roberts is an award-winning creative producer, historian, author and founder of Black Oxford Untold Stories, a cultural platform dedicated to uncovering, documenting and bringing to wider public attention the histories and contributions of Black scholars at the University of Oxford. Pamela is also the author of Black Oxford – The Untold Stories of oxford University’s Black Scholars and The Adventures of a Black Edwardian Intellectual: James Arthur Harley. She is an alumnus of the Eccles Centre for American Studies at the British Library and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and the Royal Historical Society.
13.40 – Book Slam
Two, ten minutes book launches for the up and coming young authors from Oxford Writers House and for zoologist and broadcaster, Jonathan Elphick plus two, five minute book launches.
14.15 – Children’s workshop activity by Korky Paul
The ever popular illustrator of Winnie the Witch and other successful children’s books.
14.45-15.20 – I think I have a book in me
Chaired by Lucy Ayrton, departmental lecturer in creative writing at Oxford Lifelong Learning.
15.30 – Poetry Slam on the theme ‘Oxford Aspirations’
Led by Dr Niall Munro Ignition Press (Oxford Brookes Poetry Centre).