How do contemporary writers concerned about climate change begin to address this subject? Can imaginative writing create new ways of relating to the natural world? What is the role of metaphor, symbol or experimental strategies in this? And can writing help develop habits of attention which lead to fresh perceptions? This panel will ask whether climate writing itself is intrinsically an act of political dissent at the present moment.

This live virtual panel reflects on our relationships with wildlife in cities in response to Marco Barotti’s Woodpeckers that are installed in public spaces around Milton Keynes during the IF Festival 2021. The panel opens up conversation between environmentally engaged academics, educators, activists, birders, and the public.

Prof Shonil Bhagwat will give a short lecture followed by a dialogue with British artist Luke Jerram, creator of Gaia, on the topic of Gaia, Sacred Earth, asking if the ways in which we map, represent, talk about, and even talk to the Earth, can change the unsustainable ways in which we relate to our planet.

We, at the The Open University, are delighted to welcome you to the BSC Conference 2021: ‘Crime and Harm: Challenges of Social and Global Justice?'

Registration is open.