Robert Macfarlane chosen for 2026 BBC Radio 4 Reith Lectures
Acclaimed writer, Robert Macfarlane, will give BBC Radio 4’s highly prestigious series of public lectures. The Reith Lectures is a series of annual BBC radio lectures given by leading figures of the day.
The announcement comes before Robert Macfarlane’s appearance at the Norwich Arts Centre presents’ event at EPIC Studios, Robert Macfarlane & Jackie Morris: The Book of Birds, on 24 September.
Seven years in the making, The Book of Birds is a love letter to the splendours and mysteries of birdlife, and a clarion call to halt the loss of birds from land, sea and sky. Jackie Morris and Robert Macfarlane conjure the unique spirit and lifeway of each species, the book to be treasured by bird-lovers of all ages, and a future classic work of reference.
At EPIC Studios on Thursday 24 Sep 2026 at 7.30pm, 112-114 Magdalen St, Norwich NR3 1JD.
Approx running times:
Robert & Jackie in conversation with Patrick Barkham 7pm – 7.45pm
Q&A with audience TBC 7.45 – 8pm
Book signing 8.15 – 9.15pm
Robert Macfarlane says about The Reith Lectures, “It feels both a great honour and a big responsibility to be this year’s Reith Lecturer, at a time when what is at stake in our relations with the larger living world is nothing less than everything. In my view, the solutions to the crisis we find ourselves in lie in imagination as well as legislation; in stories as well as science. I want these lectures to be urgent, hopeful, vivid and surprising; I hope they will spark debate, touch hearts and open minds.”
Mohit Bakaya, Radio 4 Controller, says: “Few writers have done more than Robert Macfarlane to transform the way we think about nature and our place within it. At a time when humanity’s relationship with the living world has never been more consequential, he will bring urgency, imagination and hope to one of the defining questions of our age. These Reith Lectures promise to challenge assumptions, provoke debate and inspire audiences around the world.”
