The 2025 Swindon Festival of Literature begins on Monday 5 May with the traditional Dawn Chorus from 5.30am at Lawn Woods.
Zimbabwean multi-instrumentalist Tawanda Mapanda will bring a blend of marimba, vocals, and audience participation to proceedings, before Tony Hillier and magical musical friends make Maypole ribbons fly.
A spokesperson said: "As the sun rises over sleeping Swindon, this all-weather outdoor event celebrates the blessings bestowed on us by Nature and the start of this year’s 32nd Swindon Festival of Literature!"
The Dawn Chorus is the first event of a packed festival programme which includes:
- On Tuesday 6 May Oxford University Professor Sir Muir Gray will be talking about his book 'Sod 70!' about ageing better and living longer at Swindon Arts Centre at 12.30pm.
- On Wednesday 7 May, Swindon's Town Gardens will host Pop-up Poetry in the park hosted by Swindon community poet Tony Hillier from 11am.
- At 12.30pm on the same day, author Harriet Hitchen will be talking about her book Swindon Mountain where a 'mountain' appears unexpectedly overlooking the town.
- Professor Richard Dawkins will be discussing his latest book The Genetic Book of the Dead, an exploration of the untapped potential of DNA to transform our understanding of evolution, at a talk at Swindon Arts Centre on Devizes Road on Wednesday 7 May at 6.30pm.
- On Thursday 8 May at 12.30pm at the Arts Centre, local writer John Ciullimore will be holding a talk called 'Swindon Seen - Through Fact and Fiction, Past and Present' where he will talk about some of Swindon's stories and storymakers including The Hammerman Poet, Aflred Williams.
- On Friday 9 May, people will have a chance to catch a comedy double helping at Swindon Arts Centre with Ivo Graham at 6.30pm and Alistair McGowan at 8pm.
- A Writers and Readers Day will take place at Swindon Hub on Saturday 10 May from 10.30am to 4.30pm, which will include talks, a book fair and creative writing workshops.
- The Festival Finale takes place at 7pm on Sunday 11 May at Swindon Arts Centre and features a feast of stories, poems, songs, acrobatics, circus, wordplay and much more.
Full details of the festival can be found at https://www.swindonfestivalofliterature.co.uk/
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