The popular Coventry Conversations speaker programme kicks off next week with a packed schedule of luminaries from the media world talking with audiences at Coventry University.

The series kicks off on Monday (27 September) with a football world cup-themed talk by sports business expert Professor Simon Chadwick.

Professor Chadwick's talk will be followed on Wednesday (29 September) by the opportunity to join an audience with Autocar magazine editor-in-chief Steve Cropley and, later in the day, BBC Radio 2 broadcaster Jeremy Vine.

Cropley, a visiting professor at Coventry University, was recently voted motoring journalist of the year by his peers at the Headline Auto Awards. The judging panel, not content with bestowing the top accolade on the Australian, also described him as one of the top five most important journalists in the world.

Jeremy Vine will go back to his roots to speak about his distinguished career in broadcasting. Best-known for his current affairs radio and TV shows, Vine began his career with a two-year apprenticeship on the Coventry Evening Telegraph in the mid-eighties.

The final talk of the week will be delivered by BBC News Online editor Pete Clifton, who will chat about how the BBC is moving forward with its online content.

Each Coventry Conversation will take place in the Ellen Terry Building (the old Odeon) in Room ETG 34 at 1pm, with the exception of  Wednesday 29 September when Steve Cropley will be talking at 11am in ETG 34 and Jeremy Vine at 5pm in the adjacent Graham Sutherland building, Room GSG 22.

Entry is free and open to the public.

The talks will be recorded and will be available to listen to on the Coventry University website or on iTunesU - www.coventry.ac.uk/itunesu

For more information about Coventry University, please visit their website here: www.coventry.ac.uk