Kaliane Bradley | The Ministry of Time
Sat 26 Apr 2025 | 8:00pm - 9:00pm



The Ministry of Time took 2024 by storm with its hilarious, sexy, and time-travel-fuelled romp that explores Britain’s reckoning with its past. Join us for an unforgettable event where you’ll discover what all the fuss is about in this literary romcom like no other.
In the near future, a disaffected civil servant is recruited to a mysterious new government ministry tasked with gathering “expats” from throughout history to test the limits of time travel. Her job? To assist and monitor Commander Graham Gore, an “expat” who, according to history, perished during Sir John Franklin’s ill-fated Arctic expedition. Confused but intrigued by modern wonders like washing machines and Spotify, Gore quickly adapts, especially as he and his “bridge” move from awkward roommates to something more.
But as their relationship deepens, both are forced to confront their past decisions and the future they never expected. Can love survive the weight of history when it’s literally living in your house? The Ministry of Time asks the big questions about love, fate, and the legacies we inherit.
Don’t miss this chance to hear from the author about the wild and witty world of time travel, history, and romance!
‘Really smart, really funny and really cool’ – Literary Friction
In conversation with literary critic Alex Clark
Venue: Old Divinity School
Duration: 1 hour
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Author Biography
Kaliane Bradley is the author of The Ministry of Time, which was an Observer Best of 2024 debut and has sold in 20 languages to date. She was the winner of the 2022 Harper’s Bazaar Short Story Prize and the 2022 V.S. Pritchett Short Story Prize.
Chair Biography
Alex Clark is a broadcaster and journalist, who writes for many publications including the Guardian, the Observer, and the Times Literary Supplement. She was the co-host on the Graham Norton Book Club for Audible and hosts the TLS podcast. She is a professional chairperson and appears all over the UK at Cheltenham, Hay and the Southbank Centre. Alex is a festival honorary patron and now lives in Ireland.