Summer Solstice at Jodrell Bank with Creative Manchester
16 May 2024
Two events to celebrate longest day of the year on Friday, 21 June – book tickets now
Jodrell Bank and Creative Manchester are delighted to hold two exciting events to mark the Summer Solstice on June 21, 2024.
The daytime event explores the intersection of art, myth, and science, in celebration of renowned author Alan Garner and offers engaging panel discussions and lectures for enthusiasts across literature, archaeology and physics.
The day begins with a variety of panel discussions, a walk of the Jodrell Bank site and a filmed conversation with Alan Garner exploring the themes of his literary work, which is deeply rooted in the history and landscape of Alderley Edge and draws inspiration from the area's archaeology and the cosmic wonders observed at Jodrell Bank Observatory.
In celebration of his 90th birthday, experts from archaeology, physics, and literature will convene at Jodrell Bank to discuss the impact of Garner's writing on their respective fields, as well as how the sciences have influenced the writer himself. Together, they will explore themes of time and place in his novels, celebrating his contribution to contemporary storytelling.
Later in the day, there’s an evening with author Sarah Perry, featuring her latest novel, Enlightenment, which delves into questions of faith, physics, and human emotion against the backdrop of a small town in Essex.
The award-winning novelist’s newest story Perry weaves a web of entangled relationships and emotion, its characters trapped within the conflict between faith and fact. The event offers a chance to hear Perry discuss her creative process, read excerpts from Enlightenment, and take part in a Q&A session.
These events, which promise a thought-provoking exploration of literature and science, are part of Creative Manchester’s ‘Solstice and Equinox series’, a series of events which brings innovative creative artists to The University of Manchester’s four Cultural Institutions. Each of our unique cultural institutions – the Whitworth, the John Rylands Research Institute and Library, Manchester Museum and Jodrell Bank Discovery Centre – focus on building civic, national and international partnerships to advance the social, environmental and individual wellbeing of our communities.
Buy tickets
Tickets are available for both events, with a discounted rate available for the Evening With Sarah Perry event if attending both events.
To buy tickets, visit: