Bishop Nick is taking part in six events at this year's Bradford Literature Festival, see below.
Bishop Toby is also part of a panel exploring the Persian spiritual poem The Conference of the Birds on Sunday 1 July at 3pm, and on Sunday 7 July at 7pm, Bradford Cathedral is hosting an evening of Sacred Poetry, including musical performances.
Dennis Skinner: Nature of the Beast
Friday 6 July, 6-8.30pm, Pictureville Cinema, The National Science & Media Museum
CHAIR: Bishop Nick Baines SPEAKER: Dennis Skinner MP.
Saturday 7 July, 1-2.15pm, Banqueting Suite, City Hall
CHAIR Paul Rogers PANEL: Bishop Nick Baines, Owen Greene
Difficult Women – Samira Ahmed with Bishop Nick Baines
Saturday 7 July, 2.45-3.45pm, Old Building, Henry Mitchell Hall, Bradford College
Samira Ahmed explores the lives of some of her favourite difficult women, from the Brontë sisters to American lawyer Anita Hill, Disney's Mulan and the BBC women campaigning for equal pay. Samira will then be in conversation with Bishop Nick Baines about these real-life heroines.
Who is Driving the Russian Machine?
Saturday 7 July, 4.30–5:45pm, Banqueting Suite, City Hall
CHAIR: Paul Rogers PANEL: Bishop Nick Baines, Prof Owen Greene, Bettina Renz, Susan Richards
Relations between Russia and the West have been a huge political talking point in recent years, and are now said to be at their worst since the end of the Cold War. Now, it seems that there is a new headline regarding Russia every day, which only amplifies suspicion about what’s going on behind the doors of the Kremlin. Our panel of experts will examine how Russia upholds its power, both internally and on the world stage. Join us for a topical exploration of one of the most prevalent news stories of our time.
Sunday 8 July, 1.30-2.45pm, Alhambra Theatre
The Song of Solomon is an exquisite series of lyrical poetry, which has been variously interpreted as an allegory of God’s love for Israel; love and sexual longing between a man and a woman; and the love between Christ and the Christian Church. It is different to other books of the Hebrew Bible, and later versions of the Christian Old Testament, as it does not directly represent the divine wisdom of God. Nevertheless, the song is laden with meaning and metaphor which can be interpreted in numerous ways.
Celebrating the poetry and lyricism of one of Judaism and Christianity’s most profound books, this special event, featuring Bishop Nick Baines, Andrew Levy, Atar Hadari and Judith Silver, will start with recitation of the Song of Songs in Hebrew followed by a discussion of the text’s multiple meanings and a special musical performance.
Robin Ince in conversation with Bishop Nick Baines
Sunday 8 July, 5.30-6.30pm, Alhambra Theatre
Robin Ince joins Bishop Nick Baines for a conversation about his life and career as a comedian, actor and writer. A stalwart of the indie comedy scene for over a decade, hosting The Infinite Monkey Cage on Radio 4 with Brian Cox and initiating the legendary ‘Bad Book Club’ nights at London’s Albany Theatre has gained Ince a cult following amongst both comedy fans and the wider public. Robin will lift the lid on the science that blows his mind and divulge behind-the-scenes secrets from his favourite television and radio appearances.