Lancaster University is planning a peak performance in its new role as the first Academic Partner of the Kendal Mountain Literature Festival this year.
The new partnership, welcomed by both parties, is firmly in step with strong links already forged between departments in the University’s Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences.
Previously, several members of the History and English Departments have been involved in the event, which has become a successful bolt-on to the popular, long-running Kendal Mountain Festival.
The University’s Chancellor’s Ambassador, Sir Chris Bonington, is also a regular participant at the Festival.
Welcoming the partnership Professor Simon Bainbridge, a mountaineering literature expert, said: “We are delighted to be partnering with the Kendal Mountain Literature Festival.
“At Lancaster University, we have research and teaching expertise across a range of fields relating to mountains, including the rich literature and culture they have stimulated.
“This partnership provides an excellent platform to share our knowledge with the wider public. We look forward to working with the Festival on new initiatives, including summer schools and writing workshops.”
Literature Festival Director Paul Scully said: “We’re thrilled Lancaster University, one of the UK’s most prestigious Universities, will be joining us as Academic Partner.
“This partnership confirms the breadth and quality of the Literature Festival’s programme. It also provides a wonderful opportunity for us to share writing from the realms of landscape, nature, people, and place with a wider audience.”
This year, the third event of its kind, takes place from November 14 to 17.
Following the success of the first Kendal Mountain Literature Festival in 2017, the organisers last year brought together an impressive array of writers, authors, poets, artists, photographers, academics, musicians and performers together to explore ‘connection’ between people, cultures, places and species.
The programme included highly anticipated book launches, lively debates, history lectures and live art performance as well as a wide range of authors reading from and talking about their books.
This year the Literature Festival will feature more than 30 literature-based sessions with an estimated audience of more than 2,500 people.
Highlights will include Professor Charlie Gere from Lancaster Institute for the Contemporary Arts who will speak about his ‘I Hate the Lake District’ book and there will be a special Ruskin event, led by Professor Sandra Kemp, on the Sunday morning to mark Ruskin’s bi-centenary.
The festival, which boasts writer Robert Macfarlane as its patron, also hosts and supports the Boardman Tasker Award for Mountain Literature within the programme.
