Connecting people and ideas through conversations that inspire
Our Themes
We organise inspiring conversations with authors and thinkers throughout the year (see Our Next Talks section below). And we also independently handpick events organised by our favourite local bookshops and venues taking place in and around Bristol that fall under one of our below three themes (see All The Talks section).
Nature
Replenishing and reconnecting with the natural world
Nurture
Caring for community, culture, and society
Nourish
Developing and expanding minds, bodies, and souls
Our Next Talks
2026
Tuesday 27th October
7.30pm
Bristol Folk House
Julian Baggini
The Art of Flourishing
Julian will be reflecting on what a lifetime of philosophy can teach us about how to flourish in today’s world.
Thursday 26th November
6.30pm
Clifton Community Bookshop
Michael Foley
Everything is connected. Everything changes. Pay attention.
Michael will outline the history and contemporary relevance of the idea that everything is essentially relation and process and discuss the many benefits for those who adopt this way of thinking.
All The Talks
October
Wednesday 21st
6pm
Sloane Robinson Building
Food for Thought – The Bayeux Tapestry Revisited
Professor Ben Pohl (Medieval History, University of Bristol)
To coincide with the Bayeux Tapestry’s highly anticipated exhibition in London, Professor Pohl’s lecture will outline a new interpretation of how and where this unique cultural artefact was intended to be viewed.
Thursday 22nd
12.30pm
Central Library
History and Conservation in Antarctica: Learning from the past to protect the future
What can historical scholarship contribute to environmental conservation?
Thursday 22nd
7.30pm
Victoria Methodist Church
The Environment – Some Good News Stories!
A presentation on good news stories about the environment by experienced ecologist and local environmentalist Peter Loy-Hancocks, followed by questions and discussion.
Tuesday 27th
7.30pm
Bristol Folk House
Julian Baggini
The Art of Flourishing
Julian will be reflecting on what a lifetime of philosophy can teach us about how to flourish in today’s world.
Wednesday 28th
2pm
Woodland Road
Histories of South Asian Migration and the Search for Belonging
Inaugural Lecture: Professor Sumita Mukherjee
Where does the history of South Asian migration belong? And how has the 19th and 20th century movement of people from the Indian subcontinent influenced social and political change around the world?
November
Monday
2nd
7pm
St George’s
Zadie Smith
Dead and Alive
Zadie will be discussing the political and cultural shifts that are shaping Britain today. She will consider the political leaders on both sides of the Atlantic – and the meaning of ‘the commons’ in all our lives.
Wednesday
4th
6.30pm
Small City Bookshop
Amy Jeffs
In conversation with Helen Carr
Amy will be discussing her new book about King Arthur, brought back to life from the earliest sources
Tuesday 10th
7.30pm
The Wardrobe Theatre
Malaika Kegode
Book Launch: Good as a Rest
In her second full poetry collection, Malaika Kegode sits with the transformations we choose and the ones that choose us…
Thursday 26th
6.30pm
Clifton Community Bookshop
Michael Foley
Everything is connected. Everything changes. Pay attention.
Michael will outline the history and contemporary relevance of the idea that everything is essentially relation and process and discuss the many benefits for those who adopt this way of thinking.
Monday 30th
7.30pm
St George’s
Philosophy Salon: Free Speech Under Fire
Jeffrey Howard, Judith Squires, and host Julian Baggini
Does free speech have limits? Can and should social media platforms control what their users say?
Get in touch
If you’d like to organise an inspiring conversation please use the form or email us at: hello@bristoltalks.co.uk
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Bristol Talks was co-founded by Eugene and Megan in 2024