WOMAD festival2023 reveals line up for World Of Words; celebrating all things spoken

WOMAD 2023

Thursday 27th to Sunday 30th July 2023
Charlton Park , Malmesbury, Wiltshire, SN16 9DG, England MAP
£260 for 4 days - £210 for 3 days - Day tickets are £125 each

Daily capacity: 40,000

Last updated: Thu 13th Jul 2023

Press Release 26 April 2023

WOMAD’s World of Words; celebrating all things spoken

WOMAD today reveal the line up at the esteemed World of Words, the hub of creativity at the heart of the festival celebrating all things spoken, a celebration of language, expression, discussion and debate to provoke and entertain. World of Words brings together inspiring and creative people from all walks of life to meet festivalgoers to discuss, listen, discover and learn.

An array of authors on varied topical issues will bring their books to life and spark much discussion. Sustainability has become such a buzzword, but when we throw things away what does that actually mean? Journalist Oliver Franklin-Wallis’s will discuss his book “Wasteland”, an eye-opening journey through the global waste industry while Prof. Miles Richardson will talk about how to improve our relationship with nature for a truly sustainable future as discussed in his latest book “Reconnection: Fixing our Broken Relationship with Nature”.

Investigative journalist Heriberto Araiyo willtell the harrowing true tale of the murder and corruption surrounding the assault of the Amazon rainforest under Bolsanero as told in his book “Masters of the Lost Land – The Untold Story of the Fight to Own the Amazon” and political advisor and campaigner Ali Goldsworthy (“Poles Apart – Why Division Deepen and Societies Splinter”) will pinpoint the economic and political triggers that tip people from healthy disagreement to dangerous hostility, and the part played by social media in spreading entrenched opinions.

Discussing her searching debut novel“The Things That We Lost”, Jyoti Patel will explore family, loss and the lengths to which they go to protect the ones they love as a British Asian teenager uncovers the secrets of his parents past.

Award-winning comedian, podcaster and author of The Breakup Monologues Rosie Wilby will debate the future of relationshipsand if Monogamy Has Had its Day, another panel will ask Is it Time to Abolish the Monarchy and another will look at How Do We Ensure Privacy in a Digital World which has changed the way we live, work and play but at what cost? Only at WOMAD would you find this incredible mix of insights.

Back to music, Anna Gabriel will talk through the book “Reverberation” and about the work happening across music, science, technology and medicine, and give an insight into how music and specific songs can promote healthier sleep, better creativity, productivity, and even better sex. Glenn Tilbrook, best known as the lead singer and guitarist of the band Squeeze will discuss how song writing changes over time and why, and one of Britain’s most successful film directors Gurinder Chadha will talk about the importance of music in her films (“Bhaji on the Beach”, “Bend It Like Beckham”) and the songs that reflect her passion for eclectic music in her soundtracks.

Wim Hof instructor Gus Hoyt will be on hand to discuss the importance of every single one of the 25,000 breathes each of us take each day to cleanse, detoxify, energise and boost bodily systems and Prof. A C Grayling (“Philosophy and Life”) will share his wisdom on what it takes to understand our lives. There will be some fascinating discussion with the food writer and founder of Kim Kong Kimchi James Read on gut health and the benefits of the microbial army in fermented foods, and the ‘culinary alchemy’ that takes place in his kitchen. Journalist and chef Ravinder Bhogal will also be on hand to discuss what it means to havea ‘no borders’ kitchen.

The interactive, comedy-poetry cabaret The Hip Yak Poetry Shack will welcome an amazing line-up led by the author of 140 books of poetry and prose, former Children’s Laurate, performer, and broadcaster Michael Rosen (Saturday 3pm). He will be joined by the incredible TS Eliot and Polari Book prize winning poet and spoken-word artist Joelle Taylor - watch her live and be changed forever (Friday 3pm) and the ‘Pessimism is for Lightweights’ award-winning author, poet and broadcaster Salena Godden (Sunday 3pm) will speak out for human rights.

The Hip Yak Poetry Stage at WOMAD is hosted by Liv Torc, Jonny Fluffypunk and Chris Redmond - leading some of finest, funniest, deeply moving and profoundly right-on spoken word from poets including; Adjei Sun, Elvis McGonagall, Rachel Rose Reid, Zena Edwards, Gecko, Jo Bell, Tom Sastry, Louise Adjoa Parker, Piers Harrison-Reid, Jacki Juno, Chloe Jacquet, Edward Tripp, Chris White and Bambi.

In addition, there will be a special poetry show dedicated to the NHS and ‘The Big Girls Village’ will explore women’s experiences during lockdown, plus last Year's WOMAD Slam winner 2022 will appear. This years The Hip Yak Poetry Slam is on Sunday at noon for any want-to-be poets to have a go and secure their place at WOMAD 2024.

If that wasn’t enough the wonderful OneTrackMinds is returning;a Desert Island Discs meets TED Talk meets Moth Radio where a panel of special guests talk about that one song that changed their life and firm favourites are also back; Mr B’s Books, Giant Interactive Crosswords, and the ever popular Sunday Morning Newspapers Panel to catch up on the day’s news with four eclectic contributors including comedian Harriet Beveridge and journalist Heriberto Araiyo.

//Ends

Notes to Editors

The WOMAD 2022 festival highlights can be found here.
The WOMAD 2023 promotional video can be found here.

WOMAD FESTIVAL UK 2023

Charlton Park, Malmesbury, Wiltshire, UK, SN16 9DG

27-30 JULY 2023

ONLINE: www.womad.co.uk

TICKET PRICES

3 days: £210

4 days: £260

Teenage 3 days: £100 (names of teenagers must be registered when purchasing tickets)

SN16 resident 4 days with camping: £135