Sunday Papers Live is returning to Cambridge Union on 15 March, offering a leisurely celebration of Sunday’s best bits. Organised by local party hosts My Little Festival, the event aims to bring the atmosphere of a festival discussion tent to the city, serving up a host of talks, performances and entertainment – as well as plenty of food and drink throughout the day.
Among the line-up of this year’s Sunday Papers Live is columnist Steve Cross, the comedian and compère responsible for hosting SPL’s sister event in London. Statistician and risk expert David Spiegelhalter presents Nasty Numbers in the News, showing you how to dissect the statistics we get bombarded with in the news on a daily basis. Heidi Allen, former MP for South Cambridgeshire, talks to Steve Cross about food banks, post-Brexit Britain, party politics and more, while Kajal Odedra, executive director of Change.org UK and author of Do Something: Activism for Everyone, gives a talk on how we can all be activists, as she believes that everyone should know how to speak up and be heard.
Poet John Osborne will be in the building too, giving his witty and charming take on food and drink, as will Dr Matt Wilkinson, a zoologist based at the University of Cambridge. Author of Restless Creatures: The Story of Life in Ten Movements, he will explore the limits of evolution’s creative power in his talk, Impossible Creatures. Fellow zoologist, broadcaster, author and founder of the Ugly Animal Society, Simon Watt is offering a talk all about the least aesthetically pleasing animals out there, to discover why we find them so fascinating.
A major highlight of the event is an appearance from Sunday Papers Live veterans Son & Sons. As the London Sunday Papers crossword editors for the past five years, Son & Sons present their hilarious live crossword. Basically, imagine a crossword with no clues – then two classically trained actors performing the clues. You can even win a dubious prize for completing the clues the fastest, so make sure you have your pens at the ready.
In terms of food, Sunday Papers Live is once again teaming up with Cambridge’s Bread & Meat. The indie favourite has designed some sumptuous Sunday roast-style gourmet sandwiches especially for the event, with both vegetarians and vegans being catered for. Guests can choose either roast British beef roll or a mixed roast vegetable sandwich with fresh salsa verde.
The Union’s 1815 Bar is offering a selection of wines, beers and prosecco, along with mimosas and the event’s classic choice: bloody marys. Tea, coffee and soft drinks are also available throughout the event, as well as some gourmet snacks.
Along with all of that, you can also look forward to a walk with Cambridge on Foot, where you can learn intriguing facts about the city with one of the entertaining guides. Make sure you sign up when you arrive so as not to miss out. There will also be an arts and crafts table, where you can enjoy some creative arts activities all through the afternoon. Live music is set to be on offer, too – keep an eye on the event’s website and social media for updates.
Tickets for Sunday Papers Live include all of the above talks, performances and entertainment, as well as the guided walk and art activities. They can be found on the organiser’s website and are priced at £15.
