A Liverpool Hope University academic will feature at the world famous Hay Festival this summer.
Professor Bryce Evans is set to speak at the Hay on Earth Forum – a sustainability-focused series of events – where he will be discussing the critical issue of food availability and access as part of a panel discussion.
Now in its 36th year, the Hay Festival is one of the world's top cultural and literary festivals, with music stars Stormzy and Dua Lipa included in the line-up for the 2023 edition, which takes place between Thursday 25 May and Sunday 4 June.
Professor Evans, an expert in food history, is part of a three-strong panel that will discuss the Welsh concept of Milltir Sgwar – square mile – which promotes belonging to and being immersed in a small community.
He will be joined by author Louise Gray and Ian Rasmussen from the University of Chester to consider the new challenges we face with our food supply and whether, inspired by Milltir Sgwar, we are bold enough to revert to a more localised approach to food production.
Explaining what the audience can expect from the discussion, Professor Evans said: “I’ll be talking about the food policy consultancy work I’ve undertaken with the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) and my book, Feeding the People in Wartime Britain.
“The latter will focus on how we must look to the past to understand our current food system and I will also be discussing the notion of the square mile in terms of food access, availability and use and the idea of the fifteen minute neighbourhood.
“Appearing at the Hay Festival is an ambition for any author and I am really looking forward to being there this year.”
Professor Evans’ talk takes place on the festival’s Wye Stage at 5.30pm on Thursday 25 May.
Tickets are priced at £10 and are available to buy online from the Hay Festival now.
Photo credit: Adam Tatton Reid, courtesy of the Hay Festival.