Woodroffe Talks
The Woodroffe School, in partnership with Shute Festival, is delighted to present a new series of engaging talks, designed to appeal to a wide range of interests within the local community. These events are free and open to all – everyone is warmly invited to attend.
The talks will be held in the picturesque and historic Peek Chapel, a venue that provides a charming and intimate setting for these talks. The Chapel is accessed via a door onto the road to the left of the Alexandra Hotel at 3 Pound Street.
The series, part of the School and Shute Festival’s community outreach, aims to foster learning, conversation, and community engagement, and we are excited to welcome attendees from all walks of life. Books will be on sale at each event and the authors will sign copies.
Hilary Bradt – Taking the Risk
- Wednesday 5th February 2025
- 7pm to 8.30pm
- Peek Chapel
Hilary Bradt’s career as an occupational therapist ended when potential employers noticed that the time taken off for travel exceeded the periods of employment. In 1963, she hitchhiked to and around the Middle East. In 1969, she spent six months travelling from San Francisco to Rio de Janeiro. With her former husband George, she self-published her first guidebook in 1974 during an extended journey throughout South America, thus founding Bradt Guides.
Travels in Africa in 1974–77 resulted in a backpacking guide to Africa, followed by four more to South America.
By 1990, she was established as a publisher, winning IPG/Sunday Times Small Publisher of the Year in 1997. For the first 25 years she combined writing guidebooks and running the company with leading adventure and natural history tours to South America, Africa and Madagascar. Her contributions to tourism have resulted in an MBE, among other major awards. For more info, visit hilarybradt.com.
Julia Hailes - How rainforests have changed my life
- Wednesday 12th March 2025
- 7pm to 8.30pm
- Peek Chapel
Julia Hailes is a sustainability pioneer with nearly 40 years in the green sector. She’s a campaigner, writer, speaker and consultant and has written or co-written, nine environmental books, including The Green Consumer Guide, which sold over 1 million copies worldwide.
Co-founder, with John Elkington, of the first environmental think tank and consultancy, SustainAbility in 1987, advising blue chip companies such as Procter & Gamble and M&S. Julia is currently a director of Rubbish Ideas, a start up company designing systems for the circular economy, and an Ambassador for the Rainforest Trust. For the last three years she has organised and hosted a Wilding Weekend at her home in Dorset.
In 1992, Julia received a UN Global 500 Award for Outstanding Environmental Achievement and in 1999 an MBE.
Nick Jubber - Monsterland
- Wednesday 7th May 2025
- 7pm to 8.30pm
- Peek Chapel
Nicholas Jubber is the author of six books of non-fiction and a winner of the Stanford/Dolman Travel Book Award. His journeys have taken him across Africa, Asia and Europe, on the trail of a medieval physician, Persian poet and sixteenth century explorer, amongst many other adventures.
He has worked as a teacher, journalist and film extra, and spoken at many literary festivals, including Hay-on-Wye, Edinburgh and Cheltenham, as well as writing for such publications as The Guardian, BBC Online and The Irish Times.