Richmond Town Hall, DL10 4QL 7.30pm 10 refreshments bookstall disabled access Living on Dartmoor, Michael Jecks says, is the best way to research medieval stories. He will discuss his feelings about landscape in novels, how characters are shaped by their surroundings, and how authors can get the most from the scenery about them. He regularly wild camps on Dartmoor, and can be found walking over the wilds with his two dogs as he plots his stories. All are grounded in fact and in places he knows well. His work involves intensive research into the crimes committed by our ancestors, reading court records, coroner reports and histories that cover the industrial history of Dartmoor. Michael is the Hon. Secretary of the Detection Club, founder of Medieval Murderers, and was Chair of the Crime Writers Association. He is a regular speaker at international crime and literary festivals.

Richmond Town Hall, DL10 4QL 4:00 pm 10 refreshments bookstall disabled access For almost two decades before her execution at Fotheringhay Castle in 1587, Mary Queen of Scots was a prisoner. From her chambers, she wrote countless letters, many encrypted using complex ciphers to prevent her communications from being intercepted. In this way, she used language to exert her will and influence events. Jade Scott, a historian and expert on Mary's correspondence, explores the hundreds of letters Mary sent during her prison years to reveal how she navigated surveillance and suspicion. In Captive Queen she interrogates Mary's complex relationships with friends and enemies throughout her long imprisonment, illuminating her strategic expertise, and bringing Mary's captivity to life like never before.

Richmond Town Hall, DL10 4QL 7.30pm 10 refreshments bookstall disabled access Britain faces a deep contradiction on China; on one side, a security risk; on the other, enormous opportunities. The problem is that we dont have the expertise to differentiate between the two or cope effectively with either. Each year, only three hundred UK students graduate in Chinese. Meanwhile, in China, millions are studying English. In two decades, their economy has grown to six times the size of ours. They know more about us than we know about them and that gives them a competitive advantage. Tim Clissold lived in China for 25 years and has published four books on China and Chinese culture. His latest, Teach the People, tackles our ignorance about this global titan. Tim will be interviewed by Austin Lynch.

Richmond Town Hall, DL10 4QL 7.30pm 10 refreshments bookstall disabled access The Yorkshire-based author, naturalist, activist, Guardian Country Diarist and President of Friends of the Dales, Amy-Jane Beer will discuss her Wainwright Prize winning book about rivers and wild spaces, The Flow,and her work with the Right to Roam campaign and the importance of public access to local green space as the first crucial step in healing our broken relationship with the natural world and rebuilding a culture of care for nature and also for each other. Amy will be in conversation with Tim Frenneaux of Adventurous Ink.

Richmond Town Hall, DL10 4QL 7.30pm 10 refreshments bookstall disabled access Jessica Hepburn will tell the inspiring story of how she went from being an arty unlikely athlete to a record-breaking adventurer, transforming her life in the process. Her new book, Save Me From The Waves, charts her journey to become the first woman in the world to swim the English Channel, run the London Marathon and summit Mount Everest fuelled by listening to every episode of her favourite radio programme - Desert Island Discs. Join us to hear her amazing story, and discover which books saved her through the waves of life. Jessica is the former CEO of the Lyric Hammersmith Theatre and also author of The Pursuit of Motherhood and 21 Miles.

Richmond Town Hall, DL10 4QL 7.30pm 10 refreshments bookstall disabled access Britain has over 10,000 miles of coastline, steeped in history and constantly shifting and adapting. The Restless Coast is a moving and beautiful account of a journey around it. The author travels the coast to discover its challenges and opportunities, and to talk to the people trying to protect it. After a distinguished army career and success in business, in 2018, Roger took the decision to devote the rest of his working life to the restoration of nature through his writing, public speaking and campaigning. In 2022, he walked 1,000 miles through Britain from Lymington to Cape Wrath, to assess the state of British nature, a story told in Across a Waking Land. The Glasgow Herald has called Roger one of Britains leading conservationists

Richmond Town Hall, DL10 4QL 7.30pm 10 refreshments bookstall disabled access No longer in the tent, but not quite out of it, is former Labour minister and celebrated diarist, Chris Mullin. His latest volume of diaries covers the turbulent politics of the twelve years from the fall of New Labour to the death of the Queen. What others have said about Chris: The Centurys greatest diarist. Lord Jay, head of the diplomatic service, 2001-6, He will join Alan Clark in the pantheon of truly great diarists. Matthew DAncona, London Evening Standard, justly celebrated as masterpieces of the genre. Rafael Behr, The Guardian. And finally, A treat to be savoured. What is more they are written by a creature that the public does not believe exists: an honest politician. Oona King, The Times.

An established, well attended Artisan Fair, where you are sure of a warm welcome, as all exhibitors bring their own unique, creative style in handmaking their beautiful items. Pop along and browse the many different stalls, where you can be sure to find that perfect gift.

Richmond Town Hall, DL10 4QL 7.30pm 10 refreshments bookstall disabled access On a bright autumn day in 1857 the workers from Salts Mill were waiting for special trains to take them on a day trip. But they were not going to Blackpool: they were going to The Manchester Art Treasures Exhibition which attracted mill hands, factory workers and domestic servants. Today less than 8% of visitors to our great galleries are from the working classes. When and why did the working classes stop visiting art galleries and why does this matter? Join us for a discussion into art and class with David Kennedy author of Art and Class. How the middle classes hijacked the nations galleries. David has worked as an apprentice in the cotton mills, a climbing instructor in Africa and America, a social worker in Bradford and eventually became a serious man in a suit running Bradford Council.