Wild Rock – Matt Heason

Matt Heason is at the University of Sheffield Drama Studio on Thursday 15 October, talking about his book Wild Rock. It's part of Off the Shelf, the series of in-conversation events the university runs where a performer sits down with a guest for a chat. The session is now sold out, so you'll need to keep an eye out for any last-minute returns if you're hoping to get in.

Wild Rock is a guide for ramblers and adventurers who want to step off the path and onto the rock. Heason has picked 100 places to visit across England, Scotland and Wales, with a good number of them in the Peak District, so there's plenty of local ground to cover. The book is built around photographs that show how he chooses scrambles for their beauty, character and sense of discovery, and the talk will be a chance to hear him talk through that process.

Heason is a Sheffield writer and also the founder of ShAFF, the Sheffield Adventure Film Festival, so he's well-known around here for his interest in the outdoors. That's the same thread that runs through Wild Rock—the idea of getting off the marked paths and finding your own way across the landscape. If you've spent any time in the Peaks, you'll know exactly the kind of terrain he's talking about.

Doors open at 18:30 and the session finishes by 20:00. Tickets are £12 standard and £10 for concessions.