In a world increasingly preoccupied by borders, bridges celebrate the possibility of connection, allowing the flow of goods, people and ideas.

Bridges are among our grandest physical structures with the power of transforming lives and economies, but we also stand (or fall) upon the simple arch of bones in our feet. Text is a bridge between writer and reader, and conversation builds bridges of understanding between minds.  

Dr Gavin Francis has spent his life fascinated by the power of bridges to improve human connection. In this illustrated talk he will take the audience on a journey through more than twenty countries, across four decades of travel, and over thirty bridges – including the Union Chain and Royal Border Bridges over the Tweed.  His book The Bridge Between Worlds explores bridges both actual and metaphorical.

From Rome’s Ponte Sant’Angelo to Brooklyn, Victoria Falls to London, Singapore to Siberia, this thought-provoking book reflects on connections between nations and between individuals. Francis demonstrates what the building of bridges has meant to our civilisation, how crossings can enrich our lives, and the price we pay when we tear them down. 

This event is presented by Berwick Literary Festival and The Maltings.