The follow-up to celebrated grief expert, neuroscientist, and psychologist Dr. Mary-Frances O’Connor’s The Grieving Brain focuses on the impact of grief – and life’s other major stressors – on the human body.
Coping with death and grief is one of the most painful human experiences. While we can speak to the psychological and emotional ramifications of loss and sorrow, we often overlook its impact on our physical bodies. Dr. Mary-Frances O’Connor specialises in the study of grief, and in The Grieving Body she shares vital scientific research, revealing imperative new insights on its profound physiological impact. As she did in The Grieving Brain, O’Connor combines illuminating studies and personal stories to explore the toll loss takes on our cardiovascular, endocrine, and immune systems and the larger implications for our long-term well-being.
Research-backed, warm, and empathetic, The Grieving Body is an essential, hopeful read for those experiencing loss as well as their supportive friends and family.
Twenty years ago, James Canton moved from London to the English countryside. Behind his farm labourer’s cottage was a small field with a ‘for sale’ sign. At first it was a site for family picnics and cricket matches with friends, but James knew that the two-acre patch of earth held more potential – as a place for nature to return and flourish.
Here is the story of how, over a number of years, he undertook a project to ‘rewild’ the field: digging a pond, forging meadowlands, creating habitats for birds and insects, encouraging flowers and plants that support pollinators and wildlife. Eventually what was once just a grassy space was again buzzing with life.
The process raised some interesting questions. Rewilding is about bringing a large landscape back to a natural, self-sustaining state. But that wasn’t possible on the scale of a field, a garden or a window box. What if we rethought the term? What if we aimed for ‘renaturing’ instead? Even on the smallest of scales we can create habitats to support a greater diversity of nature. A single window box planted with pollinator-friendly flowers can provide a mini-habitat to support honeybees; a tower block with a window box on every balcony becomes an acre of bee-friendly ecosystem.
Renaturing shows how the concept of rewilding can be adopted by us all. We can all make positive change, however large or small. We can all be involved in caring for and restoring the natural world.
James Canton is Director of Wild Writing at the University of Essex. He is the author of Grounded: A Journey into the Landscapes of Our Ancestors (2023), The Oak Papers (2020), Ancient Wonderings: Journeys into Prehistoric Britain (2017) and Out of Essex: Re-Imagining a Literary Landscape (2013), which was inspired by his rural wanderings in East Anglia. He has written for the Guardian, reviews for the TLS and Caught by the River, and is a regular on television and radio.
Four bestselling women writers talk all things novel writing. From mid-life wives to midwives, Christmas crackers to beach reads, a Yorkshire village to Berlin zoo – they cover it all!
Join Tilly Tennant, Julie Houston, Tracy Bloom and Anna Stuart for an evening of entertainment to discuss the joy of stories, both writing them and reading them.
This is a free event and will be oversubscribed, if you are no longer able to attend, please email [email protected] so they can re-release your ticket.
This lunchtime networking and afternoon workshop invites anyone interested in the power of words to explore the role of literature, creative writing and poetry in creative health.
Bringing together people from across communities, health and social care, and the arts, the session will offer space to share lived experiences of how reading, writing and poetry can support health, wellbeing and connection in everyday life.
Speakers will include:
Nick Barley, Director of the National Poetry Centre
Professor Rowan Bailey, Strategic Lead for Research (Arts and Humanities) and Principal Investigator of Creative Health HUB (University of Huddersfield)
Luise Marino, SWYPT (South West Yorkshire Partnership Teaching)
Darren Henley, CEO of Arts Council England
Come and explore the benefits of literature for wellbeing, lived experiences of using creative writing and poetry in health and social care settings, and the personal practice of reading and engaging with literature as part of daily life. We invite you to share your thoughts and ideas about the role of literature, creative writing and poetry in creative health.
The workshop will also introduce the work of the National Creative Health Hub (based at the University of Huddersfield), which is leading a consortium project with a range of external partners and West Yorkshire Combined Authority. This work sits within the wider ambitions of the West Yorkshire Creative Health System, which aims to support creative health in making people’s lives healthier and happier.
No prior experience is needed — just curiosity and a willingness to explore the creative health benefits of literature, creative writing and poetry together.
The Create Lab, Barbara Hepworth Building, University of Huddersfield, Queensgate, Huddersfield HD1 3DH (See map below, Barbara Hepworth Building is no 36 on the map)
Access: if you have specific access needs or seating preferences, please contact our Admin team at [email protected] with your request.
NOTE: there is no general public parking at the University. For information on disabled parking, contact the University direct on 01484 422 288.
Concession & Carers: For further information on concession and essential carer tickets, please visit our FAQ’s page.
Eventbrite note: When purchasing tickets please download the Eventbrite ‘app’ or ‘create an Eventbrite account’. This will facilitate quicker access to your tickets.
Your chance to hear insights from Arts Council England Chief Executive Darren Henley about the current landscape of arts and culture, and pose your questions on the pressing issues facing this sector.
Arts and culture enrich people’s lives in many ways, but securing funding has become more challenging. In The Arts Dividend: How Investment in Culture Creates Happier Lives, Darren Henley presents an impassioned and convincing case for the importance and rewards of public investment in arts and culture.
He also offers first-hand insights into how the arts:
encourage creativity
enhance education
provide defining characteristics to places
have a positive impact on health and wellbeing
support innovation and technology
contribute to economic prosperity
enhance our country’s reputation for cultural excellence
Darren Henley OBE is Chief Executive of Arts Council England. The author of two independent government reviews into music and culture, he has written 30 books about the arts. Before joining the Arts Council, he spent 15 years leading Classic FM. He holds degrees in politics from the University of Hull, management from the University of South Wales and history of art from the University of Buckingham.
Accessibility information: this event will have live subtitling by Stagetext.
Thursday 14 May
5.30pm-6.30pm
Cellar, Lawrence Batley Theatre, Queen Street HD1 2SP
Ticket price: £5 (£4 conc) free for University of Huddersfield staff and students & essential carers accompanying a ticket holder
Age guidance: 14+ (U16s should be accompanied by an adult)
Access: if you have specific access needs or seating preferences, please contact our Admin team at [email protected] with your request.
Concession & Carers: For further information on concession and essential carer tickets, please visit our FAQ’s page.
Eventbrite note: When purchasing tickets please download the Eventbrite ‘app’ or ‘create an Eventbrite account’. This will facilitate quicker access to your tickets.
An evening celebrating the local Ukrainian community with song, dance and an illustrated talk.
Michael Drapan, author of Home from Home, will deliver an illustrated talk on the 70-year history of the émigré Ukrainian community in Huddersfield. This will be followed by traditional folk songs and ballads from the Huddersfield Ukrainian Singing Troupe and traditional folk dance from Zolota Kalyna Dance Ensemble.
Home from Home tells the history of the émigré Ukrainian community based in Huddersfield from 1948 to 2018. At a time when Ukraine heroically endures an unprovoked and destructive invasion by Russian forces, this history aids understanding of historic hostilities, from the traumatic era of enforced slave labour under the Third Reich, battles on the Eastern Front and survival in frightful camps during the bloody years of the Second World War. Then, from the late 1940s, the establishment of Ukrainian Clubs to preserve Ukrainian history, language, and traditions in the UK.
Michael Drapan is a senior committee member of AUGB (Association of Ukrainians in Great Britain) Huddersfield. A retired headteacher, he currently works as a University Examination Invigilator and Kirklees Council Interpreter for Ukrainian refugees.
Thursday 14 May
7pm-8pm
Free (booking recommended)
The Cellar, Lawrence Batley Theatre, Queen Street, Huddersfield HD1 2SP
Access: if you have specific access needs or seating preferences, please contact our Admin team at [email protected] with your request.
Concession & Carers: For further information on concession and essential carer tickets, please visit our FAQ’s page.
Eventbrite note: When purchasing tickets please download the Eventbrite ‘app’ or ‘create an Eventbrite account’. This will facilitate quicker access to your tickets.
POSTPONED – we regret to announce that this event has been postponed. We hope to reschedule for October 2026, more information to follow soon.
Join us for an evening of sharing stories, food and music of the African-Caribbean Diaspora.
Featuring:
Contributions from local writers and storytellers
A short film about the impact of Hurricane Beryl on the island of Carriacou, created by local musician and producer Nigel Cudjoe (Savvy) of Saving Grace Music
Music from local performers including the Huddersfield Community Gospel Choir, DJ and dancing
Free buffet included in the ticket price
Friday 15 May
6pm-10pm
Huddersfield Mission, 3-13 Lord Street HD1 1QA
£7.50 advance, £10 on the door (includes free buffet), free ticket for essential carers accompanying a ticket holder.
Access: if you have specific access needs or seating preferences, please contact our Admin team at [email protected] with your request.
Concession & Carers: For further information on concession and essential carer tickets, please visit our FAQ’s page.
Eventbrite note: When purchasing tickets please download the Eventbrite ‘app’ or ‘create an Eventbrite account’. This will facilitate quicker access to your tickets.
Access: if you have specific access needs or seating preferences, please contact our Admin team at [email protected] with your request.
Concession & Carers: For further information on concession and essential carer tickets, please visit our FAQ’s page.
Eventbrite note: When purchasing tickets please download the Eventbrite ‘app’ or ‘create an Eventbrite account’. This will facilitate quicker access to your tickets.
Yorkshire writer, poet and musician Stu Hennigan talks about his dark, complex, and visceral debut novel Keshed, an unflinching character study exploring class, belonging, fatherhood and conflicting ideals of modern masculinity. (Note: strong language and adult themes).
In the derelict shell of what was once his family home, a dying man surveys the wreckage of his former life and drinks himself senseless, haunted by the chain of events that led him there. At heart, Keshed is the story of a relationship struggling to cope with the impossible pressures of raising a child under late-stage capitalism; but it’s also a love letter to the working-class north, from the grinding poverty of Thatcher’s ’80s to the present day.
Stu will be interviewed by author Simon Crump. Refreshments will be available for purchase on the night.
“Stu Hennigan is one of my favourite writers. His voice is unmistakable and always compelling. Keshed, in its presentation of class and fatherhood, displays verve, fearlessness and total commitment to its characters and their world. It’s brutal and beautiful.”
Wendy Erskine, author of The Benefactors
Stu Hennigan is a writer, poet and musician from the north of England. His book Ghost Signs (Bluemoose, 2022) was shortlisted for best non-fiction at the Books Are My Bag Awards and Best Political Book By A Non-Parliamentarian at the Parliamentary Book Awards in 2022/3. His short fiction, essays, poetry, criticism and articles have been published widely in print and online. Keshed is his first novel.
Wednesday 13 May
7pm-8.30pm
Byram Arcade, Westgate, Huddersfield HD1 1ND
£5, free for Essential carers accompanying a ticket holder, free for University of Huddersfield staff and students
Access: if you have specific access needs or seating preferences, please contact our Admin team at [email protected] with your request.
Concession & Carers: For further information on concession and essential carer tickets, please visit our FAQ’s page.
Eventbrite note: When purchasing tickets please download the Eventbrite ‘app’ or ‘create an Eventbrite account’. This will facilitate quicker access to your tickets.
Join Serendipity Creative Writers for a poetry Open Mic: Huddersfield Voices: Reflections of Life, Love, Light & Laughter – “The WRITE Way to Better Mental Health”.
This year is the National Year of Reading 2026, so whether you are an avid writer, a novice or just want to listen, all are welcome to this event in a safe, warm, friendly space, to celebrate creativity and self-expression.
Venue located opposite the Town Hall. Free event and free cake!
Serendipity Creative Writers is a well-established small mental health charity (reg. no. 1201197) founded in 2018. Based in Huddersfield Serendipity serves the surrounding Kirklees area. The charity’s whole ethos is to bring people from all walks of life together through the love, enjoyment and inspiration of poetry, storytelling and the spoken word. Through writing and sharing we can improve our mental health, build friendships and stronger communities. Serendipity runs free weekly workshops in Huddersfield, Dewsbury and Batley, thanks to funding from the National Lottery.
