Leicesters literary festival gives a glimpse into our possible futures
This year’s Literary Leicester plans to take audiences where no-one has gone before – but might do, one day.
Bestselling science fiction authors Philip Reeve and Alastair Reynolds will be taking audiences on a voyage of discovery in the apt surroundings of the National Space Centre in two free public talks for the University of Leicester’s annual Literary Leicester festival.
The adventure begins with a talk by Philip Reeve, author of Mortal Engines, on Saturday 18 November from 11am to 1pm. He will invite the audience to ride the interstellar express into a fantastic future universe of aliens, androids, and sentient trains as he talks about his writing and reads from his popular books Railhead and Black Light Express.
Former scientist and award-winning science fiction author Alastair Reynolds will then make a stop on Mars from 3pm to 5pm. In ‘Alastair Reynolds: Red Planet Dreams’, he will present a wide-ranging and accessible talk on Mars, both in our imaginations and in reality.
Festival Director Professor Martin Stannard, from the University of Leicester’s School of Arts, said: “This year’s Literary Leicester will explore new places both figuratively and literally – as we invite two very popular science fiction authors to take our visitors to possible new worlds. We will also be taking Literary Leicester into the very apt environment of the National Space Centre. This will be a wonderful opportunity for the Centre’s visitors to get involved in the Festival, and to learn how science and literature can inform one another.”