Leicester Lit & Phil Society

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Leicester Lit & Phil Society

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The Leicester “Lit & Phil” organises lectures and discussions in Literature, Science and Art

The “Lit & Phil” organises an annual series of lectures and discussions, held in the Hansom Hall at Leicester Adult Education Centre, for the advancement of education in Literature, Science and Art. It publishes reports, papers and proceedings and supports the museum. There are also Natural History and Geology Sections, which organise further events.

29/09/2026

A wonderful evening was enjoyed by all at last night’s Annual Members’ Meeting of the Leicester Literary & Philosophical Society at Hansom Hall.

Society President Hazel Graves opened the meeting with a review of the Society’s activities and achievements over the past season, together with a summary of last season's lecture programme.
Ian Johnson, Treasurer, presented a comprehensive report on the Society’s income and expenditure, while Alison Yarrington, Programme Secretary, provided an engaging preview of the exciting range of lectures planned for the coming season.

Following the formal business of the evening and an opportunity to enjoy a drink and friendly conversation, members were treated to a superb concert by musicians from the Bardi Wind Orchestra, conducted by David Callow. Their performance brought a memorable evening to a fitting close making it another fantastic Lit & Phil event.

𝗟𝗼𝗼𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗔𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗱
Our new season of public lectures begins on Monday 12 October at 7.30pm at Hansom Hall.
We are delighted to welcome Kanti Chhapi, who will present a richly illustrated lecture entitled:
'Tectonics, Temporality and Tranquillity in the Architecture of Carlo Scarpa'
The lecture will also be livestreamed via Zoom
We look forward to welcoming you to another stimulating season of Lit & Phil lectures.
All the details can be found at https://www.leicesterlitandphil.org.uk/events
For more information about joining the Society go to www.leicesterlitandphil.org.uk

08/09/2026

Take a look inside the magnificent Hansom Hall, which will be home to the Leicester Literary & Philosophical Society's 2026-27 lecture season.
Located within Leicester Adult Education College on Belvoir Street, this stunning venue combines beautiful architecture with an inspiring atmosphere, making it an ideal setting for our programme of lectures and events.
We look forward to welcoming members and guests throughout the season.
Discover our upcoming lectures and events at: https://www.leicesterlitandphil.org.uk/

29/08/2026

Members of the Lit & Phil Natural History Section enjoyed a fantastic wildlife recording day a couple of weeks ago at Sandhills Lodge Farm in the Ulverscroft Valley, part of Charnwood Forest's Corridor Club.

The Corridor Club is a network of landowners committed to managing their land in ways that support and enhance wildlife.

Led by Hazel Graves, 15 members of the Natural History Section surveyed the site, recording an impressive 146 plant species despite the exceptionally dry conditions. Around 50 invertebrate species were also identified, along with fungi, birds, liverworts and even a frog. The excellent photographs were taken by Peter Smith.

All records will contribute to ongoing wildlife monitoring through NatureSpot, the Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland (BSBI) database, and the Corridor Club's recording programme.
More information about the Corridor Club and NatureSpot can be found at: www.charnwoodforest.org/geopark-supports-growth-of-corridor-club/
and https://www.naturespot.org/

20/08/2026

The Leicester Literary and Philosophical Society is delighted to present its annual Autumn and Winter Programme of lectures and events, running from September to April. Details of the final lecture will be announced as soon as they are available.

Our diverse and inspiring programme brings together expert speakers and thought-provoking topics from the worlds of science, history, literature, philosophy, the arts, nature and more.
Unless otherwise stated, lectures will take place at Hansom Hall, Belvoir Street, Leicester. For those unable to attend in person, all lectures will also be live-streamed via Zoom.

Visitors and non-members are warmly welcome to join us, either in person or online. Tickets can be purchased through our website or at the door, and discounted rates are available for students.

If you would like to become a member of the Leicester Lit & Phil and enjoy the full range of membership benefits, please visit:
https://www.leicesterlitandphil.org.uk/join-us

We look forward to welcoming you to another season of stimulating talks, friendly discussion, and exploration.

30/07/2026

Congratulations to Bethany Dark, who has been awarded the Leicester Literary and Philosophical Society’s Loughborough University Prize for 2026, presented annually to the best graduating student in English. Bethany was recognised for an outstanding dissertation entitled '𝘌𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘰𝘮𝘺 𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘶𝘴 𝘌𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘺: 𝘈𝘱𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘌𝘯𝘨𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘋𝘦𝘣𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘏𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘵 𝘔𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘢𝘶’𝘴 “𝘐𝘭𝘭𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘗𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘌𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘰𝘮𝘺” 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘌𝘭𝘪𝘻𝘢𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘩 𝘎𝘢𝘴𝘬𝘦𝘭𝘭’𝘴 “𝘔𝘢𝘳𝘺 𝘉𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘰𝘯”'.
The award forms part of the Society’s wider programme of support for students at De Montfort University, the University of Leicester, and Loughborough University, where prizes are presented annually for outstanding work in English. These awards are an important element of the Society’s outreach activities, which also include lectures for schools and occasional public events. We are extremely grateful to the students and university staff whose participation, enthusiasm, and support contribute to the continued success of these initiatives.

𝐏𝐡𝐨𝐭𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐩𝐡: Bethany Dark receiving the Leicester Literary and Philosophical Society’s Loughborough University Prize for 2026 from Kanti Chhapi, President-Elect of the Leicester Literary and Philosophical Society.

Bethany’s dissertation examines how Harriet Martineau’s 𝘐𝘭𝘭𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘗𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘌𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘰𝘮𝘺 and Elizabeth Gaskell’s 𝘔𝘢𝘳𝘺 𝘉𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘰𝘯 offer contrasting responses to the nineteenth-century Condition of England debate, a term coined by Thomas Carlyle to describe the social consequences of industrialisation. Focusing on Martineau’s ‘A Manchester Strike’ and Gaskell’s 𝘔𝘢𝘳𝘺 𝘉𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘰𝘯, it compares their shared depiction of a Manchester workers’ strike to explore the tension between economic theory and emotional empathy. By reading these literary texts (and their Prefaces) alongside contemporary political and economic writings, the dissertation reveals how Martineau’s commitment to political economy and Gaskell’s emphasis on human experience shaped their fiction, while highlighting the enduring relevance of their ideas for contemporary discussions of inequality, economics, and social justice.

27/07/2026

𝗔 𝗪𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝗔𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗼𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗚𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗨𝗻𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗖𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗹
Members of the Leicester Lit & Phil Natural History Section joined the Canal & River Trust Waterways Wellbeing Group for a summer wildlife walk along the Grand Union Canal at Kilby Bridge.
In perfect weather, the group recorded a rich variety of wildlife, including dragonflies, butterflies, water plants, birds, lichens, ferns, plant galls and leaf mines. Highlights included Banded Demoiselles, Broad-bodied Chasers, Purple Loosestrife, Water lilies, Red Kites and Moorhen chicks.
As well as enjoying a great social event and sharing knowledge with adults and children alike, participants contributed valuable wildlife records to local and national recording schemes such as NatureSpot, helping improve understanding of Leicestershire’s biodiversity.
A fantastic example of community, wellbeing and citizen science coming together in nature.

This a summary of a report for the Natural History Section Newsletter by Hazel Graves, Lit & Phil President.

30/06/2026

We had a fantastic day at the Plant Sale and Family Day at the University of Leicester Botanic Garden on Sunday.

It was wonderful to meet so many people from across Leicester and beyond, and to share the work of the Leicester Literary and Philosophical Society and our Natural History Section.

Thank you to everyone who stopped by to chat with us, and a special thank you to the organisers and volunteers who made the day so enjoyable. We look forward to seeing many of you at our programmes and events later in the year. All the details can be found at: https://www.leicesterlitandphil.org.uk/events and
https://www.leicesterlitandphil.org.uk/Natural-History-Section

19/05/2026

𝗖𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗯𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱–𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲 𝗟𝗶𝘁 & 𝗣𝗵𝗶𝗹 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗺𝗲
This picture montage offers a glimpse into the rich and inspiring programme delivered by the Lit & Phil during the 2025–2026 season. Over the course of this season, our lectures took us on journeys around the world and through time—into both the past and possible futures—exploring a wide range of topics including health, community, environment, natural history, technology, and much more.
In true Lit & Phil tradition, many of these talks provided fresh perspectives and new insights, challenging ideas, and broadening our horizons.
Our sincere thanks go to Professor Alison Yarrington and the programme team for organising such a stimulating and varied series of lectures.
Planning for the next lecture season is already well underway, with details of the 2026–2027 programme expected to be finalised in the coming months. Information will be shared via our social media channels as soon as it becomes available.
We are also pleased to remind members and friends that the Lit & Phil will have a stall at the University of Leicester Botanic Gardens Family Day on Sunday 28 June. Stands will also be hosted by the Natural History and Geology Sections. We warmly invite you to come along, meet the team, and find out more about our activities and membership opportunities. More details will follow soon.

28/04/2026

It was an exceptional evening at the Lit & Phil, with a very large turnout at Hansom Hall and many others joining online via Zoom to hear Alastair Fothergill OBE speak on “Nearly Forty Years in the Field with Sir David Attenborough.”

Alastair Fothergill is a highly acclaimed producer of nature documentaries for television and cinema, as well as a director and co founder of Silverback Films. The audience was treated to fascinating insights into the making of some of the world’s most iconic wildlife documentaries, including Planet Earth, Frozen Planet, Our Planet, and Wild Isles.
The talk offered remarkable behind the scenes stories, particularly around the meticulous planning and complex logistics required to film in remote and often hostile environments, such as the Arctic and Antarctic regions. These insights were brought vividly to life through stunning images and video footage, many featuring Sir David Attenborough in the field.
One memorable anecdote described filming four tonne “beachmaster” elephant seals on the beaches of South Georgia, where Sir David was famously armed with little more than a broom handle for protection. Such stories not only entertained but also illustrated the dedication and risks involved in capturing these extraordinary moments on film.

Throughout the lecture, Alastair emphasised the importance of the natural world and the need to protect it—an issue clearly resonating with the audience, as reflected in the thoughtful and engaged questions at the end of the talk.

The vote of thanks was eloquently delivered by Richard Graves.
The lower photograph shows (from left): Denise Hopkins, Robert Attenborough, Cecilia Attenborough, Alastair Fothergill, Hazel Graves (President of the Lit & Phil) and Richard Graves.

27/04/2026

𝗧𝗼𝗻𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁. Nearly forty years in the field with Sir David Attenborough, presented by Alastair Fothergill OBE.

Join us for a very special evening with Alastair Fothergill OBE, the award-winning filmmaker behind some of the most iconic wildlife documentaries ever made.

From Planet Earth and Frozen Planet to Our Planet and Wild Isles, Alastair has worked alongside Sir David Attenborough for nearly four decades — travelling from the North Pole to the South Pole and across the globe.

This F.L. Attenborough Lecture will be a richly illustrated journey through those adventures and the stories behind the films that changed how we see the natural world.

📅 Monday 27 April 2026
🕢 7:30–9:00pm
📍 Hansom Hall, Leicester Adult Education College
💻 Also on Zoom

🎟 Free to members
£7 guests (£3 students) — pay on the door
Or join the Society and attend free.

More information:
🌐 https://www.leicesterlitandphil.org.uk/
📅 Event details: https://www.leicesterlitandphil.org.uk/event-6181294

Come along and be inspired

Address

Hansom Hall. Adult Education College, 50-54 Belvoir Street
Leicester
LE16QL

Website

https://www.leicesterlitandphil.org.uk/

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