Author Talks and Wanders - Oxford

Part of the reason I love to go to Oxford when I do, is to be there for the Oxford Literary Festival, which is a week of author talk events across the city. It's a fun way to get to hear the author's speak about their books, and you can meet them and buy their books to sign for you after the talk. I've always loved coming to various talks over the years. This year I limited myself to only three events, so I had time to dedicate to my time in the libraries. 

The first event I went to was held in the Pusey House Chapel on the topic of ignoring Christianity at our peril. In society, if the morals and values of Christianity are removed or ignored, the authors argued that we would be in a very bad state. One of the authors I was familiar with, Nick Spencer, as I had read his book called Magisteria, on the topic of faith vs. science throughout history and how much of that is a misconception of those two things being opposed to one another. The three authors were all Anglican, and they brought their perspectives of the nature of England and its history, reviewing how through time the names and meanings of the places (even England: Angle-land, owing to the Christian faith, these things come from somewhere is the point). Topics ranged from machines and viewing humans as machines, 17th century rise of science, transhumanism, to post-Christian culture. They discussed these changes and the surrounding main question of the value of a human.  

In my wandering later I visited my favourite Pret in the lovely wonky building on the corner of Cornmarket and Ship Street. I walked down the Turl, and visited the magnolia tree blooming by St. Mary's, where there was a carpet of petals forming. 

The next author talk was also held in the Pusey House Chapel, and I had time for a coffee beforehand, at Gail's, a busy and popular coffee shop/bakery. Then I walked through Wellington Square passing a charming wonky lamppost, and entered a packed session to listen to the historians Alice Loxton and Hetta Howes talk about their studies and books. They both study medieval women's lives and churches. I have read and enjoyed Alice's books, especially her newest one on Queen Eleanor and the Eleanor Crosses installed after her death back in 1290. She also focuses a lot on ancient churches and their history, along with places that have historical significance. She's lively and fun, making accessible the stories of history. I was not familiar with Hetta before the event, but bought her book and one of Alices' I didn't have. Hetta focuses on medieval women, including mystics like Julian of Norwich and Margery of Kempe.

The last talk I went to was in the Weston Library, where they had a book stall set-up just for the Literary Festival so of course I browsed, and also checked out the fun Jane Austen display on the theme of dancing in her novels. I didn't take any photos in the talk, but it was on the topic of converts into the Catholic Church, by Melanie McDonagh who wrote a book called Converts I recently read. It's a study of the many authors who converted just before or into the 20th century, including Oscar Wilde, John Henry Newman, G.K. Chesterton, Evelyn Waugh, Graham Greene, Elizabeth Anscombe, etc. She studies who these authors were and what impacted them and their conversion. The book was so interesting, and the talk was like gaining access to her process as she spoke with a journalist mindset of digging into the history, changes, stats, and what we see now as a growth in conversions after a period of decline for many decades. She wants to expand on the why someone converted, and the stories are rather fascinating, especially viewed in today's modern lens.