Endangered Earth: Chris Packham CBE to speak out in Oxford
Chris Packham CBE
I am delighted to announce that our Patron, Chris Packham CBE, will take to the stage for the first annual Peter Roberts Compassion in World Farming Lecture at the Oxford Literary Festival on Saturday 28th March 2020. It promises to be the highlight of this famous festival and a landmark event for us all.
Chris Packham has gained recognition as one of the UK’s leading naturalists and conservationists. He is perhaps best known as presenter of the BBC’s flagship wildlife programmes Springwatch, Autumnwatch and Winterwatch. An accomplished writer, his autobiography Fingers in the Sparkle Jar: A Memoir, was widely acclaimed and reached number 1 in the Sunday Times bestseller chart. It was featured as a Radio 4 ‘Book of the Week’, read by Chris and critics said it was ‘Astonishing… brilliantly written’, ‘… a flickering vat of life itself. A brilliant and remarkable book.’ ‘It’s bold and beautiful, both raw and lyrical’.
Chris has a reputation for speaking his mind – speaking out about our environment, wildlife, animal cruelty, food and farming practices and climate change. He is prepared to put his head above the parapet and is not afraid to challenge those in power, to confront prejudices and to speak out about injustices occurring in our precious countryside and indeed the world.
Peter Roberts MBE, Founder of Compassion in World Farming, campaigning in the early years
I’m very much looking forward to introducing Chris at this special event, Oxford Literary Festival’s first annual Peter Roberts Memorial lecture, which is named in honour of Compassion in World Farming’s inspiring founder. Peter Roberts, a British farmer, concerned at the rising tide of factory farming and the cruelty it inflicted on animals, founded Compassion in World Farming in 1967. Starting as just a back room protest it has grown into a powerful global movement, achieving profound and enduring advancements in farm animal welfare. I am very grateful to Sally Dunsmore and all at the Oxford Literary Festival for hosting this lecture in Peter’s name.
I have no doubt that this event in the beautiful Sheldonian Theatre in Oxford will be a sell-out, so I urge you to secure your tickets quickly.
Awarded a CBE in May 2019 for his services to nature and conservation, all in all Chris Packham is a rather special person, with rather special credentials, and a perfect candidate for this highly respected and unique Peter Roberts Memorial Lecture.
I very much look forward to seeing you there.
For more information and tickets please use this link
The first Peter Roberts Lecture was given by John Mackey, founder of Whole Foods Market, in 2007. Subsequent lectures have been given by others including by Lester Brown, founder and president of the Earth Policy Institute and author of over 50 books, and Rajendra Pachauri during his chairmanship of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
