A really interesting event for lovers of history, nature and birds, this event is one of the literary talks we’ve programmed for the 2026 STEYNING FESTIVAL.
Join Michael J.Warren, author of ‘The Cuckoo’s Lea: The Forgotten History of Birds and Place’, as he discusses the deep connections between birds, place, and the stories we tell about the natural world.
Birds have inspired our connection to landscapes for centuries, but how did this relationship begin?
Hidden in the place names of English towns and villages, in copses, fields, lanes and hills, are traces of birds that illustrate how ancient people understood their world. In The Cuckoo’s Lea, Michael J. Warren follows these clues across England, from marshes where curlews still cry to woods where goshawks have returned after centuries, and cuckoo-groves now buried under concrete. Weaving together early literature, history and ornithology,, he uncovers how people encountered birds over a thousand years ago and reveals a heritage that matters today, when so many places and their birds are threatened. Michael is a frequent visitor to Steyning and some local place names feature in the book!
The talk is followed by the opportunity to purchase the book and have it signed by the author. Michael will be in conversation with the fantastic HENRI BROCKLEBANK, Director of Conservation at the Sussex Wildlife Trust.
Click here for tickets over on the STEYNING FESTIVAL website. Tickets are £12.50, a bit more than our normal bookshop events but goes towards supporting the festival, which is a registered charity and is run entirely by volunteers.
FRIDAY 22nd MAY 6pm at STEYNING METHODIST CHURCH