Speakers and Artists – Festival of Biblical Literature

Our Speakers and Artists in 2026

The following have confirmed their attendance, but there may be changes.

Doctor Olga Fabrikant-Burke

Olga is Tutor in Old Testament at Ridley Hall, a theological college in Cambridge. Her expertise is in prophetic literature, the Psalms and ancient exegetical practices. Her articles have been published in the Harvard Theological Review, the Journal of Biblical Literature, and the Journal of Theological Studies. Her first monograph, on ancient exegetical imagination in Jeremiah, is coming out in January 2026.

Philip Gross

Philip Gross has written twenty-eight collections of poetry, including The Water Table, which won the TS Eliot Prize in 2009. He was one of the writer-educators who helped establish creative writing in schools and universities. He lives in South Wales and brings a Quaker understanding to the dance of words and silences in poetry.

Doctor Elizabeth Hare

Lizzie is a tutor and lecturer in Old Testament at Cranmer Hall, a Theological College that is part of Durham University. She teaches modules on the Hebrew Bible and Biblical Hebrew, with specialisms in lament and trauma hermeneutics. In the past she has worked as an English teacher in China. At last year’s festival she gave a fascinating talk on the disturbing tale of Judah and Tamar.

Professor Deborah Kahn-Harris

Deborah is currently Principal of Leo Baeck College, the only institution in the UK training rabbis for Progressive Judaism, where she is also Professor of Hebrew Bible. She has taught in a variety of places including the School for Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) and worked as congregational rabbi in the UK, Australia, and Denmark. She publishes widely including her recent book, Polyamory and Reading the Book of Ruth.

Doctor Ahreum Kim

Ahreum completed her PhD at the University of Cambridge on The Countercultural Victory of 1 John in Greco-Roman Context (published by Bloomsbury in 2023) and also served as editor for Professor Morna D. Hooker’s recent essay compilation, Old and New: Essays on Continuity and Discontinuity in the New Testament (Mohr Siebeck, 2024). Ahreum’s current studies are centred on Jesus’s inner circle disciples — Peter, James, and John. At last year’s festival, she spoke about the personalities of those disciples and why it may have been that Jesus favoured them.

Doctor Ronan McLaverty-Head

Ronan has degrees in Near Eastern Studies from Birmingham, Oxford, and Johns Hopkins universities. He is Head of Religion and Philosophy at King’s Worcester, an Anglican cathedral school. He writes about religion, the Bible, and new religious movements. His forthcoming book, Tales from Bible Lands (BCC Press), is a poetic retelling of the myths of ancient Mesopotamia. In 2025 he spoke to the Festival on the myth of Adapa and we are pleased to welcome him back in 2026.

James Pendle

James Pendle is the poet of Paddington Station. His poems have been published in Ambit (Carol Ann Duffy was the corresponding editor) and Acumen (one of the longest-running literary magazines). He has performed on BBC Radio London and at numerous festivals. Videos of his performances can be found on Instagram (JamesPendlePoet), Facebook (@jamespendlepoet) Bluesky (@jamespendlepoet.bsky.social) and Youtube (@JamesPendle-nv4cj)

James Priestman

James set up the Festival of Biblical Literature in 2024. He has a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Biblical Studies from the University of Sheffield and a Master of Science degree in Social Research Methods and Social Psychology from the London School of Economics and Political Science. He is a tutor at Woodbrooke, an international Quaker learning and research organisation. As well as directing the festival, James will be speaking on the use of Eden in poetry, and he will be performing as the poet James Pendle.

Doctor Jayme Reaves

Dr Jayme Reaves is a lecturer in Biblical Studies and Theology at Sarum College. She is primarily interested in how particular interpretations of scripture go on to influence culture and society, both for good and for ill. She has been a podcaster on the show Outlander Soul, and been on several radio interviews, including for BBC Radio 4’s Beyond Belief on ‘Religion in Game of Thrones.’ She has also published works on biblical understandings in relation to hospitality, conflict resolution, sexual violence, and slavery.

Anne Symons

Anne completed an MA in Writing Poetry at Newcastle University and the Poetry School in 2021. Her debut pamphlet, Shifting Sands, was published by Littoral Press in 2024. Anne has had a career as a teacher of deaf children and adults. She is a Lay Minister (Reader) in the diocese of Southwark. Anne will be running a poetry workshop.

Doctor Simon Taylor

Simon is the Director of Mission and Ministry Support for the Diocese of Bristol. After a brief career in academia, Simon was ordained and has served as a parish priest, a cathedral canon, a theological educator, and a diocesan director. Simon has written a number of books, including How to read the Bible (without switching off your brain) (SPCK, 2015). In 2024 he gave the Festival a fascinating comparison of the Babylonian Creation Stories with the story in Genesis chapter 1. In 2025 he spoke on comedy in the Book of Jonah. We are looking forward to hearing from him again in 2026.