Cardiff BookTalk Series 2015/16 announced

Cardiff BookTalk, the book group with a difference, announces an exciting range of free public events with its forthcoming 2015/16 series at Cardiff University.

In a twist on the Cardiff BookTalk format, the series opens with Émile Zola’s La Bête humaine, focussing on how radio adaptations of literary works are produced.

This opening Cardiff BookTalk takes place on Thursday 19 November at 7pm (refreshments served from 6.30pm) at Cardiff University in the School of Optometry and Vision Sciences, Maindy Road, Cardiff. Free tickets can be booked directly online.

This event focuses on BBC Radio 4's forthcoming new series, Emile Zola: Blood, Sex and Money, a 27-episode 'mash-up' of adaptations that draw on the French author's Les Rougon-Macquart novel sequence, which was published in 20 volumes between 1871 and 1893. The first season will begin its broadcast on 21 November at 2.30pm.

The evening will offer the audience an exclusive preview of the ninth episode of the first season in an hour-long 'dark listening'. The episode draws primarily on La Bête humaine (The beast within, 1890), Zola's 17th book in Les Rougon-Macquart, a psychological thriller that presents a lurid tale of insanity and murder in Paris.

Following the dark listening will be a series of short presentations with Dan Rebellato, writer of the episode; Polly Thomas, the episode's producer; and  academic consultant Dr Kate Griffiths, Senior Lecturer in French from Cardiff University. A Q&A session will provide an opportunity for wider discussion with the audience.

The Cardiff BookTalk 2015/16 series continues with the modern classic Khaled Hosseini’s The Kite Runner on 9 December, marking World Human Rights Day (10^th December). For details and to book, head online.

From Spring 2016, Cardiff BookTalks will include Julian Barnes, Sense of an Ending (date tbc); an evening with Neo-Victorian authors Gaynor Arnold (After Such Kindness) and John Harding (Florence and Giles) on 17 March; Simon Mawer, Mendel's Dwarf (date tbc);ascreening of James Whale's classic 1931 adaptation of Frankenstein (date tbc) plus an event in commemoration of the centenary of the First World War battle at Mametz Wood.

Now in its fourth year, Cardiff BookTalk has welcomed the public to fifteen open discussion events. Increasingly popular, it has grown both in the number of events and range of books covered, attracting up to 150 people at nights discussing classics such as Cormac McCarthy’s The Road and Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice.

Cardiff BookTalk organisers Dr Jamie Castell and Dr Anthony Mandal extend a warm invitation to anyone interested to find out more via the website.

‘We're excited to be offering both BookTalk regulars and newcomers a rich and diverse programme of events this season, which reflects a range of topical cultural issues and showcases the breadth of research interests at Cardiff University.

‘As well as the core programme, we will be diversifying the BookTalk platform through other spin-off activities, such as schools workshops, online initiatives and community partnerships. At the heart of BookTalk is our audience, so we’ll also be canvassing suggestions from the public about the kinds of events they would like to see offered in this new phase of the project’.

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