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FRIDAY 24 NOVEMBER (Click to open speaker's home page) Looking for the Holy Grail 7.30pm (click for map etc.) John Matthews has been on a personal quest for the Grail for more than thirty years and has written and lectured widely about it. His most recent book, The Grail: A Secret History, explores not only the long and mysterious story of the Grail on its journey from prehistory to the present, but also looks at the phenomenon which has resulted in the overwheming response to books like Holy Blood, Holy Grail, The Da Vinci Code and many others. Tonight he will talk frankly about the delights and perils of seeking the Grail in the present time, and what it is that continues to fascinate him and ensure that he will continue to seek for the truth of the Grail. John Matthews is a freelance historian and writer, born in the north of England in 1948. He has been a professional writer and researcher since 1980 and has produced over eighty books on the Arthurian legends, the history of Britain and Grail Studies, as well as numerous short stories, children's books and a volume of poetry. His best known and most widely read works are King Arthur (Carlton, 2004), The Encyclopaedia of Celtic Wisdom (Element, 1994) and The Winter Solstice (Quest Books, 1999) which won the Benjamin Franklin Award for that year. He was recently historical advisor to the Jerry Bruckheimer movie, King Arthur, and has made appearances on both the History Channel and the Discovery Channel specials on Arthur and the Holy Grail. He is currently working on several new projects, including a book about the real King Arthur and a children's adventure about the Grail. His most recent publication, Piratology, is a book about pirates. £6.00 (Friends £3.00) |