10:30am - 11:30am

Angela will be talking about her book 'The Time Travelling Stone', seven tales through time from the neolithic, roman and medieval periods to the present day - perfect for kids!

10:30am - 12:30pm

Ticketed Workshop - Join illustrator Hester Aspland and printmaker Amy Hunter in a Saxon meadhall to learn how to carve into lino, print and customise your own folkloric bookmark!

11:00am - 12:00pm

Join author Shauna Lawless to discuss the impact of mythology on the Irish Brehon laws and medieval way of life, movement to folklore, and then how it's impacted modern life and literature.

11:30am - 12:30pm

Drawing on the stories in her new nature memoir, Land Beneath the Waves, Nic explores how learning about the past can help us reconnect with nature, landscape and ourselves. 

11:45am - 12:15pm

A reading of 'Three Charms', a poetic sequence that responds to three objects from the Pit Rivers Museum collection of folk magic talismans and amulets.

In this talk, Conn will discuss the Emperor Nero, the historical sources he uses to help reconstruct such an iconic character for modern readers, and how to craft compelling historical fiction.

12:30pm - 1:30pm

How does history lie at the heart of fantasy? Bestselling authors Lucy Holland and Samantha Shannon sit down for a conversation about how exactly real-world history and legends lay the foundations for exhilarating fantasy reads.

1:00pm - 2:00pm

Ticketed Workshop - Step into the world of stories with award-winning children’s author Angela McAllister. In this imaginative, hands-on workshop, Angela will guide participants of all ages (10+) to discover how the past can spark fresh, exciting writing.

1:30pm - 2:30pm

Ticketed Workshop - Join professional storyteller and author Bernadette Russell for this storytelling workshop to hear ancient tales and learn to tell them in groups too!

1:30pm - 2:30pm

In this session we’ll discuss the importance of place in fiction-writing, addressing such matters as factual research, remembered and imagined spaces and the creation of atmosphere.

2:00pm - 2:45pm

Award-winning author Elodie Harper joins us to discuss her new novel Boudicca’s Daughter reimagining the powerful, complex women of Britain’s past.

2:30pm - 3:30pm

Ticketed Workshop - Join critically acclaimed fantasy author Anna Smith Spark exploring how descriptions of setting, daily life, and sensory detail can shape magical fantasy worlds!

2:45pm - 3:30pm

Scholar-practitioner Nicole DeRushie pieces together the puzzle of late-prehistoric clothing in northern and western Europe. Listen to the story behind the best-selling book, and learn how lessons from the distant past can help us improve our lives and our relationship with nature today.

3:00pm - 3:30pm

Join award-winning Surrey poet Kitty Coles for eerie and evocative poems which use folklore and myths to explore themes of loss, longing and transformation. 

3:00pm - 3:45pm

There has always been a link between text and textiles. From the roots of the words themselves, through ancient stories of Norns weaving the fates of men, to fairy tales about cursed spinning wheels…

10:30am - 11:30am

In this session we’ll discuss ways of creating convincing characters in fiction, looking at such matters as consistency, character development and the use of dialogue.

10:30am - 11:30am

Ticketed Workshop ** In this workshop with bestselling author and natural art materials teacher Caroline Ross, you'll learn how the ink, quill pens and brushes of Saxon era illuminated manuscripts, and for later documents such as the Magna Carta, were made.

11:00am - 12:00pm

Fantasy author Anna Smith Spark discusses the inspiration behind her work and the balance between fantasy and real-world cultures.

11:00 - 11:45am

In the midst of rain, rainbows can be hard to see. But with courage and the help of good friends, there is always a way out of darkness! Join this wonderful session for kids with children’s author Smriti.

11:30am - 12:00pm

Join Eorðen as he guides you through the history of a Saxon or Viking meadhall entertainer, singing tales accompanied by lyre and tagelharpa.

11:30am - 12:15pm

Join Mike as he reveals how he goes about reconstructing and reimagining ancient Celtic society in his new series, The Savage Isle. Discover how history, myth, and imagination intertwine to create a believable world from the distant past.

12:00pm - 2:00pm

Ticketed Workshop - Join illustrator Hester Aspland and printmaker Amy Hunter in a Saxon meadhall to learn how to carve into lino, print and customise your own folkloric bookmark!

12:30pm - 1:30pm

Ticketed Workshop - Join bestselling author, Lucy Holland, for a writing workshop exploring worldbuilding, language and landscape in the atmospheric surroundings of Butser’s Saxon meadhall.

12:30pm - 1:45pm

In this rich and evocative journey with Maddy & Eleanor from The Wild Academy, connect with your 'wild self' by exploring three archetypal identities of autumn and winter.

1:30pm - 2:30pm

Ben Kane will tell the compelling story of Galla Placidia, a little-known, remarkable woman whose burning ambition saw her, against all odds, become empress of Rome in the 5th C AD.

1:30pm - 2:30pm

A family storytelling show by storyteller and author Bernadette Russell. “The Wishing Tree” is a fun, interactive and playful storytelling show written and performed by award winning author Bernadette Russell!

2:00pm - 2:45pm

Völuspá is one of the oldest and most widely discussed literary texts in the Old Norse canon. Dr. Clare Mulley will now present her own creative rendition of this poem and its female narration, translated from the Old Norse.

2:00pm - 3:00pm

Old Songs seeks to introduce readers to ballad stories and the historical insights they bring. Join awward-winning Amy Jeffs for demon lovers, tenacious mothers, fairy queens and guilt-wracked stepping stones.

2:45pm - 3:30pm

Join bestselling author of 'Found and Ground', natural arts materials artist and teacher Caroline Ross for a dive into the colourful world of foraged, historical and natural paints and inks!

3:00pm - 3:45pm

Performance poet Samuel Hurley explores wonder, romance, and imagination. He reads from his poetry collections - moving through childhood, grief, romanticism, and the call to remain astonished and tender in an age of disenchantment!

3:00pm - 3:45pm

Join folklorist and writer Alicia Anne Adams as she shares a selection of short stories exploring themes of heritage, folklore, and ecology, and how they are all woven together by wool!