University News Last updated 22 October 2013
Birmingham has a rich and fascinating history as a city that helped to shape the world - but best-selling crime writer RJ Ellory fears even its own inhabitants have forgotten much of this heritage.
Birmingham-based Ellory will be revealing his own research into the city's past on Thursday 31 October at Birmingham City University's first CityTalks event.
The free event will be hosted at Birmingham Conservatoire, part of Birmingham City University, starting at 6.30pm.
CityTalks is a new series of public events being hosted by Birmingham City University which will feature a programme of high profile speakers who will share their views and insights on a range of topics and will be open, free of charge, to local people.
The first talk is entitled 'We Are Birmingham' and the presentation aims to reclaim the city's forgotten history and make local people proud of Birmingham's contribution to industry, science and the arts.
Ellory said: "Birmingham came from being a small and insignificant market town to become one of the most important cities on the planet - its contribution to Britain and the world in general are still felt today.
"Yet so much of this history and legacy remains shamefully unknown or neglected, even to its own citizens," said Ellory, who added: "I want to help change all that and to encourage a greater awareness of what Birmingham has done for us all."
The author explained that Birmingham can trace its origins to the Romans but came to global prominence during the Age of Enlightenment through its contribution to the Industrial Revolution led by visionaries such as the Lunar Society - a 'super-group of innovators'.
The story continues through the world wars, including the BSA firearms company - which was central to the hit BBC2 'Peaky Blinders' drama - and the city's manufacture of iconic warplanes in World War Two, including Spitfires, Lancasters and Stirlings.
Birmingham's artistic contributions are equally important, boasting writers such as 'The Lord of the Rings' author JRR Tolkien, Pre-Raphaelite painter Edward Burne-Jones, and more recently rock and pop legends such as the Electric Light Orchestra (ELO), The Moody Blues, Stevie Winwood, Black Sabbath and Duran Duran.
The talk will also feature a specially-made short film which highlights some of Birmingham's most significant contributions in all fields.
RJ Ellory's crime novels, including 'A Quiet Belief in Angels' and 'A Simple Act of Violence' have sold up to a million copies. Ellory has been nominated, shortlisted for and won many literary awards for his 12 novels.