From atomic structures to theories about magnetic forces, scientific progress has given us a good grasp of the properties of many different materials. However, most scientists can’t measure the temperature of steel just by looking at it, sculpt stone into intricate statuary or know how it feels to blow up a balloon of glass.

Handmade is the story of materials through making and doing. Join author and materials scientist Dr Anna Ploszajski as she journeys into the domain of makers and craftspeople to comprehend how the most popular materials really work. In this talk we’ll explore 10 everyday materials and see how they’re used in the world of craft.

Through a mixture of memoir, storytelling, stand-up comedy and scientific explanations, this talk will take you on a journey through the different materials of science and craft. It’s the story of a young scientist trying to find true meaning in her science and its – and her – place in the world.

Handmade is available to buy from our Festival bookselling partner Blackwells.

Presented by Bloomsbury Publishing