by Elizabeth on Sep 1, 2011 at 3:22 pm
Sometimes the truth is even stranger than fiction….world-famous scientist Richard Dawkins will talk about The Magic of Reality at a series of events this autumn.
In his first book for a family audience, Richard Dawkins, with illustrator Dave McKean, has created a dazzling celebration of our planet. With its explanations of space, time, evolution and more, it will amaze and inspire readers of all ages.
Richard says ‘I want to show you that the real world, as understood scientifically, has a magic of its own – the kind I call poetic magic: an inspiring beauty which is all the more magical because it is real and because we can understand how it works… The magic of reality is – quite simply – wonderful. Wonderful, and real. Wonderful because real.’
Richard will be talking about The Magic of Reality at a series of speaking events throughout the UK (details below). Ticket prices range from free to £30 (which includes a complimentary copy of the book, priced £20).
Thursday 15th September
6.30pm FOYLE’S
113-119 Charing Cross Rd, London WC2H OEB
Event with Dave McKean only
Tickets: Free event, but must reserve online
http://www.foyles.co.uk/Public/Events/Detail.aspx?eventId=1272
Foyles will be running an exhibition of Dave’s artwork in the Gallery for two weeks from 11th – 25th September
Sunday 18th September
10.30am THE INDEPENDENT WOODSTOCK FESTIVAL
Venue: The Orangery, Blenheim Palace , Woodstock, Oxfordshire OX20 1PP
Tickets, £12, includes coffee and cake
Box Office: 01865 305305
http://www.woodstockliteraryfestival.com/
Wednesday 21st September
7.30pm Talk
Venue: THE OCTAGON THEATRE, Hendford, Yeovil, Somerset BA20 1UX
Tickets: £6/£4 for Times+ subscribers, quoting “Times+”
Available from The Octagon Box Office 01935 422884
http://www.octagon-theatre.co.uk/what’s-on.aspx
Wednesday 19th October
8.30pm THE ROYAL ALBERT HALL
Kensington Gore, London SW7 2AP
Organiser: See Tickets
Tel: 020 7087 7749
Tickets: from £30, includes a free copy of The Magic of Reality, price £20
http://www.seetickets.com/Event/RICHARD-DAWKINS/Royal-Albert-Hall/570552/?src=dawkins
Thursday 20th October
7pm THE DURHAM BOOK FESTIVAL
Venue: The Gala Theatre, 1 Millennuim Place, Durham DH1 1WA
Tickets: £12/£10/£4; Family ticket: £20 from
The Gala Theatre Box Office: 0191 332 4041 or
Online: www.galadurham.co.uk
Saturday 22nd October
5-7pm THE CAMBRIDGE FESTIVAL OF IDEAS
Venue: Lady Mitchell Hall, Sidgwick Site, Sidgwick Avenue, Cambridge CB3 9DA
Events.tst@heffers.co.uk
Tickets are free but need to be booked via their online booking service – awaiting details
Wednesday 26th October
7pm UNIVERSITY OF EAST ANGLIA LITERARY FESTIVAL
Venue: Lecture Theatre One, University of East Anglia
Tickets: £6 individual tickets, season tickets £42/£36
01603 508050 www.uea.ac.uk/litfest
Friday 28th October
5-6.30pm THE OXFORD PLAYHOUSE
Beaumont St, Oxford OX1 2LW
Tickets: £11; concessions £6
http://www.oxfordplayhouse.com/show/?eventid=1979
Box office: 01865 305305
Thursday 3rd November
8pm TOPPING & CO @ Bath Central Library
19-23 The Podium, Bath BA1 5AN
Tickets: £8 from the shop, by phone or in person on:
Tel: 01225 428111
http://www.toppingbooks.co.uk/events/
Your Comments (27)
I am going to The Royal Albert Hall….eeeeeeek!!!!
How about Southampton or Bournemouth? Would be great if it really was a uk tour. Would love to go.
Any chance of a visit to Manchester?
What a shame he wont be coming up north i.e. lancs or scotland – so much for a uk tour!
Durham is about 140 miles south of where I live, so not exactly northern.
Extremely disappointed that nothing is scheduled for Wales either, especially Cardiff. The same could be said for Scotland and Northern Ireland!
Why not come to anywhere in the north? Manchester would be an ideal place to visit, there’s 2.5 million people living in greater manchester, the largest population outside of London. Doesn’t that warrant a visit?
Disappointing southern bias (especially Oxfordshire)
Disappointing that there’s nothing in Scotland
Will there be any dates added for Scotland?
Please please come up to Scotland
@dave Durham is 160 miles from Manchester! Thats the same distance as me driving to Oxford 
Gillies says
Got the books. Would like to see and hear the author somewhere in Scotland. Either Glasgow or Edinburgh. After all the tour is ‘UK’ wide. Please reconsider and extend venues.
I’m booking tickets to see the talk in Oxford, as it’s the only date I can make (even though it means driving from Portishead!!)
Will Dawkins be doing any book signings?
Does anyone have any spare tickets to the 26 Oct UEA Norwich, event for sale please?
A good price paid, or donation to charity of choice, or both.
E-mail: snowmoon0522@gmail.com
[...] will go on a book tour with The Magic of Reality (the book and the actual thing). Click here for the 2011 UK tour dates, and here for dates in the USA [...]
So… nothing in Scotland? Hardly ‘throughout the UK’
Nothing in Scotland or Wales. Hardly “UK” events. Not happy.
Any prospect of Birmingham? Shamed by the mob that chased Priestley to America, but at least we had the Lunar Society?
Well there’s Durham, 70 miles north of me in York so probably not doable easily, shame really, I’ve never seen him speak in person.
Durham is fairly northern.
@Matt You’ve got Durham up North.
@TransworldPublishers But there’s nothing in the Midlands.
Waterstones bookshop in Nottingham hosts authors from time to time – I’m sure a visit from RD would be popular.
Not all Richard’s fans live in the south of England…
Disappointed of Lancashire
Cambridge sold out really quick
Nothing up North
Disappointing book tour. I would have loved to hear the professor speak up here.