Edgar Royston Pike, formerly Chairman of the Esher Council, introduced the ‘Esher Library Lectures’ in the late 1960s.
In 1974, Elmbridge Borough Council changed the title of these lectures to the ‘Royston Pike Lectures’ in appreciation of his 20 years’ work on the Library Committee.
All lectures are held at Riverhouse Barn Arts Centre, Manor Road, Walton-on-Thames KT12 2PF at 7.30pm on the following evenings. Tickets are £4 per person.
Autumn 2026 Programme
Wednesday 2 September - The Quiet Ear by Raymond Antrobus
Award-winning poet Raymond Antrobus was first diagnosed as deaf at the age of six when he discovered he had missing sounds – bird calls, whistles, kettles, alarms. Teachers thought he was slow and disruptive, some didn’t believe he was deaf at all. Raymond discusses his memoir, The Quiet Ear, setting his story alongside those of other D/deaf cultural figures – from painters to silent film stars, poets to performers – the inspiring models of D/deaf creativity he did not have growing up.
‘A must-read’ – Rose Ayling-Ellis
‘A big-hearted, transformative memoir’ – New York Times
‘Wise, intimate and questing’ – Telegraph
Raymond Antrobus is an award-winning poet and author whose work explores sound, identity, and belonging. His work has won the Ted Hughes Award, the Somerset Maugham Award and the Sunday Times Young Writer of the Year Award, and his poems have been added to GCSE syllabi. In 2019 Raymond became the first ever poet to be awarded the Rathbone Folio Prize for best work of literature in any genre. He is also the author of a children's book, Can Bears Ski? (Walker Books), which became the first story to be broadcast on the BBC entirely in British Sign Language. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature in 2020 and appointed an MBE in 2021. The Quiet Ear is his first work of prose.
Chaired by Ana Sampson, Surrey-based poetry anthologist and publishing professional.
BSL interpreted | Suitable for ages 16+
Wednesday 7 October - Sniff: A History of Smells by Dr William Tullett
In this talk, William guides us on a journey through the history of smell, complete with things for us to sniff! Across vast periods of time and around the globe, smell has been central to human life. From the incense burned in medieval religious rituals to the use of modern sniffer dogs, smells have been central to our sense of identity, our ability to build communities, and, perhaps less positively, to mark those deemed unwelcome within them. Our sense of smell brings us the pleasure of good food, wine, and perfume, but it also warns us of dangerous fire, gas, and rot. What did the past smell like? Why does our own world smell the way it does?
Dr Will Tullett is Senior Lecturer in Early Modern History at the University of York, where his research focuses on smell and the past. 'Sniff' is the latest of three books he has published on the topic. Outside his historical work he mainly spends his time running (for exercise, not from the law) or sofa bound under the weight of his cat and the spell of a good novel.
Tuesday 12 November - Elmbridge River Secrets – double bill
Lost and Found on the River Thames by Lara Maiklem (45’)
Through the everyday objects uncovered along the Thames foreshore, licensed mudlark Lara Maiklem reveals 2,000 years of London’s history and the lives of those who once lived beside the river.
The Rivers Mole and Wey: Surrey's Vital Nature Highways - Dr Lewis Campbell (30’)
Discover the hidden wildlife and rich ecosystems of Surrey’s two largest rivers. Dr Lewis Campbell explores the species that depend on these waterways, the challenges they face, and efforts to restore them for future generations.
A freshwater ecologist and Catchment Manager at South East Rivers Trust, Lewis has more than 15 years’ experience restoring rivers in the UK and USA, with expertise in conservation and wildlife.
Presented by Elmbridge Borough Council in association with Riverhouse Barn Arts Centre.
Bookselling partner: Cobham Bookshop
For future information, please email arts@elmbridge.gov.uk.