Clive Oppenheimer - Mountains of Fire

Volcanoes have long shaped the path of humanity, provoked pioneering explorations and fired up our imaginations.

Join world-renowned volcanologist Clive Oppenheimer on stage as he shares his life's work at the crater’s edge in the wildest places on Earth. Hear tales from Oppenheimer's adventures with scientists in North Korea to study Mount Paektu; adventures crossing the Sahara to reach the fabled Tiéroko volcano in the Tibesti Mountains of Chad; and a story of months spent camped atop Antarctica’s most active volcano, Mount Erebus, to record the pulse of its lava lake.

Oppenheimer's work reveals just how entangled volcanic activity is with our climate, economy, politics, culture and beliefs. Magical places where our history is laid bare and where nature speaks to something deep within us, join Clive for a fascinating talk that blends science, myth and adventure and be reminded that our stories are profoundly intertwined with volcanoes.

Clive's book Mountains of Fire will be available to purchase at the Festival book store over the Festival weekend.

There will be a book signing straight after the event.

Published by Hodder & Stoughton.

Reviews

Beautiful. Mountains of Fire is bursting with poetry, with storytelling. Clive is one of the rarest of men driven by nomadism, courage, and curiosity. -- WERNER HERZOG

Thrilling! An explosive account of the inner lives of volcanoes, and how they have touched our lives through history. Adventurous, gripping science writing at its very best. -- Lewis Dartnell, author of ORIGINS

I absolutely loved this book...I loved the deep and poignant connections between history, meaning and people, but it's Clive Oppenheimer's dazzling charisma and thrilling experiences that infuse this book with an energy befitting our planet's most powerful force. -- Sara Dosa, director of the Academy Award-nominated film FIRE OF LOVE

About Clive Oppenheimer

Clive Oppenheimer is a volcanologist and filmmaker. He is Professor of Volcanology at the University of Cambridge, where he has been based for 30 years. His research seeks to understand how volcanoes work and to probe the connections between eruptions, climate and society. He has conducted fieldwork around the world - either at the crater's edge peering in with assorted monitoring devices or hunting for the far-flung deposits of Earth's greatest eruptions. He has also made two documentary features with legendary filmmaker Werner Herzog, INTO THE INFERNO (Netflix, 2016) and FIREBALL: VISITORS FROM DARKER WORLDS (Apple TV+, 2020).