Scientific journal Nature to expand presence at Hay Festival, bringing science communicators together to inspire and inform
Partnership to make science more accessible expands to include three sustainability-related events, as well as ongoing support for the John Maddox science lecture
London, 11 April 2022
Leading international journal of science, Nature - part of publisher Springer Nature - will this year expand its partnership with Hay Festival. Events at Hay Festival 2022, running 26 May - 5 June in Hay-on-Wye, will support a wider range of exceptional communicators of science to attend and present their work.
For the fourth year running, Nature will support the John Maddox Science lecture, one of the festival's headline lectures and a staple of the Hay Festival calendar. Named in honour of John Maddox, Nature’s editor-in-chief for a total of 22 years, this year’s lecture will be presented by Professor Devi Sridhar, drawing from her book Preventable: The Politics of Pandemics and How to Stop the Next One. Sridhar has risen to prominence for her vital roles in communicating science to the public and speaking truth to power. Dr Ritu Dhand, Chief Scientific Officer at Springer Nature, will introduce the lecture, which takes place on Sunday 29th May at 1pm.
This year, the association between Nature and the festival will take in a wider variety of topic areas under the theme ‘Imagine…Nature’. Forming part of the Hay Festival’s larger programme of Imagine events, Nature will support three sustainability-themed talks and panels on climate crisis and denial, nature as a human right and the relationship between birds and people through history.
Andy Fryers, Sustainability Director of Hay Festival, said: “It has never been more important for scientists and researchers to present their work, accessibly, to the general public and as a Festival we’ve seen an increased interest in sustainability-related topics in recent years. We’re delighted to have Nature partner with us on bringing some vital and fascinating topics to our Hay Festival audience this year.”
Thea Sherer, Director of Sustainability at Nature’s publisher Springer Nature said: “We’re proud of our association with Hay Festival, and of supporting brilliant science communicators who can inspire people to take action on issues like climate change and biodiversity loss. We also greatly appreciate the opportunity to demonstrate the power of publishing when it comes to influencing positive change to visitors coming to Hay-on-Wye from all around the world.”
-Ends-
Notes to Editors:
The three sustainability events, taking places as part of the 'Imagine…Nature' series are:
- Climate Crisis and Denial: Alice Bell and Peter Stott in conversation, with Thea Sherer, Sunday 29 May - 4pm
- Nature is a Human Right: Ellen Miles, Nick Hayes, Daniel Raven-Ellison and Louisa Adjoa Parker, Wednesday 1 June - 11.30am
- Birds and Us: A 12,000 Year History, from Cave Art to Conservation: Tim Birkhead, Friday 3rd June - 5pm
You can find the full programme for Hay Festival 2022 here.
Springer Nature opens the doors to discovery for researchers, educators, clinicians and other professionals. Every day, around the globe, our imprints, books, journals, platforms and technology solutions reach millions of people. For over 175 years our brands and imprints have been a trusted source of knowledge to these communities and today, more than ever, we see it as our responsibility to ensure that fundamental knowledge can be found, verified, understood and used by our communities - enabling them to improve outcomes, make progress, and benefit the generation that follow.
Springer Nature is a leading publisher of sustainability research, publishing more than 390,000 relevant articles or book chapters relating to the Sustainable Development Goals since their launch in 2015, including more than 48,500 relating to climate action. The Climate Research in Action campaign brings together some of the most important research related to climate solutions.
For more information, please visit springernature.com/group and @SpringerNature
Hay Festival brings readers and writers together to share stories and ideas in sustainable events live and online. Run and managed by Hay Festival Foundation Ltd, a charity registered in England and Wales (1070073), the Festivals inspire, examine and entertain globally, inviting participants to imagine the world as it is and as it might be.
Nobel Prize winners and novelists, scientists and politicians, historians, environmentalists and musicians take part in the Festival’s global conversation, sharing the latest thinking in the arts and sciences with curious audiences. A wide programme of education and outreach work runs alongside all of the Festival’s events, supporting coming generations of writers and culturally hungry audiences.
Coming up... Hay Festival, Wales (26 May-5 June 2022); Hay Festival Querétaro, Mexico (1-4 September 2022); Hay Festival Forum Dallas, USA (1-4 September 2022); Hay Festival Segovia, Spain (15-18 September 2022); Hay Festival Arequipa, Peru (3-6 November 2022); Hay Festival Winter Weekend, Wales (23-27 November 2022); Hay Festival Medellín, Colombia (January 2023); Hay Festival Cartagena de Indias, Colombia (January 2023); Hay Festival Jerico, Colombia (January 2023).
hayfestival.org | @hayfestival
Maeve Dunne | Senior Communications Manager | Springer Nature
maeve.dunne@springernature.com
Christopher Bone | Hay Festival
christopher@hayfestival.org
