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Melissa Harrison
Oliver-balch
Oliver Balch

Pasture to Plate®: All Among the Barley

Melissa Harrison Interviewed by Oliver Balch

Saturday, 30 March 2019

10:00am

1 hour

Oxford Martin School: Seminar Room

£7 - £12.50

Nature writer and novelist Melissa Harrison talks about her third novel, All Among the Barley, a coming-of-age story set in 1930s rural Britain, and about exploring country life through literature.

It is the story of 14-year-old Edie befriended by an older woman Constance FitzAllen who arrives at Edie’s home to write about fading rural traditions. Constance is not quite what she seems, however, and Edie must find a way to save herself from disaster.

‘A deeply atmospheric work, steeped in the rhythms and traditions of the English countryside and the rhythms and traditions of its literature. Its texture – dense, hypnotic and beautifully rendered – is oddly daring. The fusing of ancient natural cycles and farming techniques with powerfully descriptive prose and rich characterisation feels luxuriant on the page … Startling ... A novel whose texture is both poetic and skillfully wrought’ Financial Times

Harrison is also author of the novels At Hawthorn Time, shortlisted for the Costa novel award, and Clay. She is also a nature writer, critic and columnist including for The Times, the Financial Times and the Guardian. Here she talks to journalist and author of non-fiction books about South America, India and Wales Oliver Balch.

This event is part of a series under the banner Pasture to Plate® that look at the environmental and health benefits of raising food on pasture and getting it to the consumer quickly through a short supply chain.

 

Jewish Book Week Partner of Oxford Literary Festival Oxford University Department for Continuing Education Princeton University Press Prestige publishing partner. Celebrating 25 years in Europe in 2024 Goldmoney Properties Felicity Bryan Associates Voltaire Foundation Confucius Institute Critchleys Accountants to the festival Oxford Brookes University Oxford International Centre for Publishing Old Parsonage Hotel Five-star hotel partners of The Oxford Collection Old Bank Hotel Five-star hotel partners of The Oxford Collection Oxford Business College Where learning meets opportunity: education partners of the festival Pasture to Plate Compassion in World Farming Symington Wines of the Douro Valley Sotheby’s Blackwell’s Festival on-site and online bookseller Embassy of the Dominican Republic Embassy of the Dominican Republic Iberia British Airways elBullifoundation Cervantes Institute, London The Cervantes Institute, London Spanish Embassy The Spanish Embassy: supporters of the programme of Spanish literature and culture Oxford Mathematics Oxford Martin School Festival ideas partner Bodleian Libraries Festival cultural partner Cultural Relations Platform Supporter of the festival's Voices of Europe programme European Union Supported by the Delegation of the European Union to the UK University of Oxford The Telegraph Festival media partner Other donors Mary and Cecil Quillen Supporters of the programme of American literature and culture David Isaac Ian and Carol Sellars Martin and Elise Becket Smith Tim and Marion Stevenson Miles Young Jim Mellon Pusey House Founded 1884 Harris Manchester College Harris Manchester College founded 1893 Reuben College Reuben College founded in 2019 Brasenose College Brasenose College founded in 1512 Magdalen College Magdalen College founded 1458 Trinity College Trinity College founded 1555 Lincoln College Lincoln College founded 1427 Worcester College Worcester College founded 1714 Exeter College Exeter College: college home of the festival. Founded 1314 New College New College founded 1379 Yale University Press London The Oxford Times Windrush Group Schoolreaders The Litmus Partnership CAV Oxford Oxford University Images Oxford University Images Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies Oxford Centre for Hebrew and Jewish Studies The Sheldonian Theatre University of Oxford Alumni Office Alumni Office Paul Bloomfield Ltd Racalia Olive Oil Olive oil from Sicily Bear Ram Elk Festival Digital Strategy & Web Design MACROVegan Human Ecology Project New Dutch Writing Conference Oxford BBC Radio Oxford Local radio partner OX magazine Ox in a Box
 

The Oxford Literary Festival sponsors, donors & partners

Jewish Book Week Partner of Oxford Literary Festival Oxford University Department for Continuing Education Princeton University Press Prestige publishing partner. Celebrating 25 years in Europe in 2024 Goldmoney Properties Felicity Bryan Associates Voltaire Foundation Confucius Institute Critchleys Accountants to the festival Oxford Brookes University Oxford International Centre for Publishing Old Parsonage Hotel Five-star hotel partners of The Oxford Collection Old Bank Hotel Five-star hotel partners of The Oxford Collection Oxford Business College Where learning meets opportunity: education partners of the festival Pasture to Plate Compassion in World Farming Symington Wines of the Douro Valley Sotheby’s Blackwell’s Festival on-site and online bookseller Embassy of the Dominican Republic Embassy of the Dominican Republic Iberia British Airways elBullifoundation Cervantes Institute, London The Cervantes Institute, London Spanish Embassy The Spanish Embassy: supporters of the programme of Spanish literature and culture Oxford Mathematics Oxford Martin School Festival ideas partner Bodleian Libraries Festival cultural partner Cultural Relations Platform Supporter of the festival's Voices of Europe programme European Union Supported by the Delegation of the European Union to the UK University of Oxford The Telegraph Festival media partner Other donors Mary and Cecil Quillen Supporters of the programme of American literature and culture David Isaac Ian and Carol Sellars Martin and Elise Becket Smith Tim and Marion Stevenson Miles Young Jim Mellon Pusey House Founded 1884 Harris Manchester College Harris Manchester College founded 1893 Reuben College Reuben College founded in 2019 Brasenose College Brasenose College founded in 1512 Magdalen College Magdalen College founded 1458 Trinity College Trinity College founded 1555 Lincoln College Lincoln College founded 1427 Worcester College Worcester College founded 1714 Exeter College Exeter College: college home of the festival. Founded 1314 New College New College founded 1379 Yale University Press London The Oxford Times Windrush Group Schoolreaders The Litmus Partnership CAV Oxford Oxford University Images Oxford University Images Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies Oxford Centre for Hebrew and Jewish Studies The Sheldonian Theatre University of Oxford Alumni Office Alumni Office Paul Bloomfield Ltd Racalia Olive Oil Olive oil from Sicily Bear Ram Elk Festival Digital Strategy & Web Design MACROVegan Human Ecology Project New Dutch Writing Conference Oxford BBC Radio Oxford Local radio partner OX magazine Ox in a Box