An Evening ‘On the Road’ with Rob Cowen

Join us for an evening of discovery with award-winning writer Rob Cowen as he takes us on an unforgettable exploration of Britain’s great highway. Hailed one of the UK’s most original voices on nature, place and people, expect to be captivated by stories from and about Rob’s latest, genre-defying book The North Road.

At the heart of this book, written in kaleidoscopic prose is the A1; The Great North Road. A 400-mile multiplicity of ancient trackway, Roman road, pilgrim path, coach route and motorway that has run like a backbone through Britain for the last 2,000 years.

In this profoundly personal book, Cowen follows this ghost road from beginning to end on a journey through history, place, people and time. Weaving his own histories and memories with the layered landscapes he moves through, this is the story of an age, of coming to terms with time past and time passing, and the roads that lead us to where we find ourselves.

Rob’s first book Skimming Stones, won the Roger Deakin Award from the Society of Authors. His second book, Common Ground was shortlisted for the Portico, Richard Jefferies Society and Wainwright Prizes and voted one of the nation’s favourite nature books of all time in a BBC poll. His follow-up, The Heeding, was the best-selling debut book of poetry in 2021. Rob has also contributed to the New York Times, the Guardian and the Independent and written radio programmes for the BBC.

The North Road is perfect for fans of W.G. Sebald, Robert Macfarlane, Iain Sinclair and Kathleen Jamie.

‘The North Road is a wonderful and epic braiding of history and geography and personal memoir.’ - James Rebanks

‘A dazzling, dogged, layered account of one road’s passage through place, time and an ordinary family’s history, The North Road truly is a trip.’ - Melissa Harrison

‘Through sharing and celebrating this common journey, Cowen manages to demonstrate the wonder of what it is to be alive. This is a book that will have your heart ringing like a bell.’ - Matt Gaw

'With his singular blend of research, personal exploration and intensely visceral storytelling, Rob Cowen is truly in a class of his own.' - Amy-Jane Beer

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