Words in the Park
A literary oasis in the heart of the capital, Words in the Park takes part in the tranquil surroundings of Holland Park this weekend, bringing together a raft of major literary names and thinkers for a festival of thought and discussion.
Held over three days and starting this Friday, Words in the Park 2012 will feature one-off talks and seminars from the likes of Jeremy Paxman, Andrew Marr, A.A Gill, Tony Benn, Sophie Dahl.
Friday May 18 will see House of Commons speaker John Bercow will discuss the importance of democracy with Professor Matthew Flinders (4.15pm), as well as the Google Key Note Debate titled, Internet: Breaking Down the Barriers of Establishment (7.45pm), featuring ex-Wikileaker Daniel Domscheit-Berg, journalist and author Nick Cohen and international editor of Channel 4 News, Lindsey Hilsum.
Saturday sees Paxman look at What Empire did for Britain (11am) and philosopher Alain de Botton tackling Religion for Atheists (4.15pm).
The line-up for Sunday May 20 includes A.A.Gill talking about his travels around the world and Tony Benn in conversation with columnist Owen Jones – looking at issues from the Middle East to the NHS, war and open democracy.
Words in the Parks runs from May 18 – 20, with tickets priced at £12 for individual events and £50 a day. For full listings and information on how to book visit wayswithwords.co.uk.
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