Highlights
18th August 2021 - 6:30 pm
Online - BST
Ruby Wax’s Guide to Mindfulness
In Conversation With Hannah MacInnes
Drawing together everything she has learned before and during the pandemic, mental health advocate and comic Ruby Wax offers a mindful guide to surviving life.
GO TO EVENT4th August 2021 - 6:30 pm
Free Online - BST
Jess Phillips at 5×15
Everything You Really Need to Know About Politics
Politics affects us all. Join 5×15 with Jess Phillips as we go inside the daily realities of Westminster and life as an MP
GO TO EVENT23rd August 2021 - 6:30 pm
Online - BST
The Right to Sex
Oxford Professor Amia Srinivasan
One of Britain’s most celebrated young philosophers, Oxford professor Amia Srinivasan, joins us to explore the politics and ethics of sex.
GO TO EVENT3rd September 2021 - 6:30 pm
Online - BST
An Evening with Elizabeth Day: Magpie
Join the award-winning, bestselling author, journalist and broadcaster Elizabeth Day to celebrate her exhilarating new novel, Magpie.
GO TO EVENT13th September 2021
Online - BST
An Evening With Cheryl Strayed, author of Wild and Brave Enough
At twenty-six, Cheryl Strayed thought she had lost everything. Her journey through survival, grief and redemption has made her one of the most loved and
GO TO EVENTFeatured Events
4th August 2021 - 6:30 pm
Free Online - BST
Jess Phillips at 5×15
Everything You Really Need to Know About Politics
Politics affects us all. Join 5x15 with Jess Phillips as we go inside the daily realities of Westminster and life as an MP...
4th August 2021 - 8:00 pm
Online - BST
The Ugly Truth About Facebook
Cecilia Kang and Sheera Frenkel
Sheera Frenkel and Cecilia Kang will be joined by Guardian technology editor Alex Hern to introduce their explosive new book about Facebook....
11th August 2021 - 6:30 pm
Online - BST
The Social Instinct – How Cooperation Shaped the World
Nichola Raihani In Conversation with Robin Ince
Drawing on decades of research in the field, evolutionary biologist Nichola Raihani joins us to reveal how and why cooperation has shaped humankind – and what happens when it goes wrong...
13th August 2021 - 6:30 pm
Online - BST
The Neuroscience of Spirituality and Our Search for Meaning
Lisa Miller In Conversation With David Malone
Clinical psychologist Lisa Miller joins us for a ground-breaking exploration of the science of spirituality and a bold new paradigm for health, healing and resilience....
17th August 2021 - 8:00 pm
Online - BST
An evening with Elif Shafak
Booker-nominated author and activist Elif Shafak will be joining us to introduce her new novel, The Island of Missing Trees....
18th August 2021 - 6:30 pm
Online - BST
Ruby Wax’s Guide to Mindfulness
In Conversation With Hannah MacInnes
Drawing together everything she has learned before and during the pandemic, mental health advocate and comic Ruby Wax offers a mindful guide to surviving life....
19th August 2021 - 6:30 pm
Online - BST
A Life in Beauty
Leonard Lauder, Chairman Emeritus and Former CEO of The Estée Lauder Companies
Leonard Lauder joins us with business and life lessons learned transforming his mother’s business into an iconic and beloved global beauty brand....
23rd August 2021 - 6:30 pm
Online - BST
The Right to Sex
Oxford Professor Amia Srinivasan
One of Britain’s most celebrated young philosophers, Oxford professor Amia Srinivasan, joins us to explore the politics and ethics of sex....
25th August 2021 - 6:30 pm
Online - BST
Tunnel 29 – The Extraordinary Story an Escape Attempt Beneath the Berlin Wall
Helena Merriman In Conversation With Hannah MacInnes
Fans of Philippe Sands, Ben Macintyre and John le Carré should not miss the stranger-than-fiction story of escape from one the cold war’s most brutal regimes....
26th August 2021 - 6:30 pm
Online - BST
Paul Mason – How to Stop Fascism
Fascism is back. How can we stop its spread and defend democracy? The bestselling author of PostCapitalism offers a guide to defeating the new far right....
31st August 2021 - 6:30 pm
Online - BST
The Authority Gap
Mary Ann Sieghart Meets Cherie Blair
Why do we still take male authority more seriously – and what can we do about it? Mary Ann Sieghart and Cherie Blair explore the pervasive gender bias at work in our everyday lives....
1st September 2021 - 6:30 pm
Online - BST
An Evening With Ian Rankin
In Conversation with Matthew Stadlen
He has worked as a swineherd, punk musician, and taxman, but Ian Rankin is best known as the master of hard-boiled noir: our guide to the darkness lurking in Edinburgh’s criminal underbelly....
3rd September 2021 - 6:30 pm
Online - BST
An Evening with Elizabeth Day: Magpie
Join the award-winning, bestselling author, journalist and broadcaster Elizabeth Day to celebrate her exhilarating new novel, Magpie....
6th September 2021 - 8:00 pm
Online - BST
Margaret Atwood in Conversation with Joyce Carol Oates
A meeting of two extraordinary minds: prolific authors, Margaret Atwood and Joyce Carol Oates, join Fane Online for this exclusive event....
9th September 2021 - 6:30 pm
Online - BST
James Dyson – A Life of Invention
In Conversation with Matthew Syed
His name is a byword for revolutionary innovation and design. But how did James Dyson become Britain’s most celebrated inventor? He joins Matthew Syed to tell his remarkable story....
13th September 2021
Online - BST
An Evening With Cheryl Strayed, author of Wild and Brave Enough
At twenty-six, Cheryl Strayed thought she had lost everything. Her journey through survival, grief and redemption has made her one of the most loved and admired authors of our time....
13th September 2021 - 7:00 pm
Free Online - BST
5×15 September 2021
Zakiya Dalila Harris, Raynor Winn, Hannah Rothschild, Aja Barber, and Lucy Kellaway
Join 5x15 in September for five short talks by a diverse group of female writers whose work explores the complex challenges of the modern world....
14th September 2021 - 9:00 pm
Online - EST
Liane Moriarty with Seija Rankin
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Big Little Lies and Nine Perfect Strangers comes a novel that looks at marriage, siblings, and how the people we love the most can hurt us the deepest....
23rd September 2021 - 6:30 pm
Online - BST
Transport and Logistics for a Post-Covid, Net-Zero World
The New York Times
Following the past year of travel restrictions, will international freight make a comeback, or is the era of cheap mobility over? What novel solutions and business models are changing how people, goods and data move toward a net zero world?...
24th September 2021 - 7:30 pm
Online - BST
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie: Notes on Writing
In Conversation With Nesrine Malik
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, the bestselling author of Americanah and Half of a Yellow Sun, reflects on writing and and storytelling in an event chaired by Nesrine Malik....
30th September 2021 - 8:00 pm
Online - BST
Things I’ve Learned the Hard Way with Candice Brathwaite
Author, journalist and TV presenter Candice Brathwaite will join us to introduce her new book, Sista Sister....
International Highlights
UPDATE
As all talks are currently online only, we are incorporating Unmissable talks organised outside the UK in the UK section so you don’t have to look in two sections. When live talks start to happen again we will revert to UK and International....
Museums and Galleries
Katy Hessel explores the work of Nina Hamnett and Lisa Brice
Charleston Trust
Curator, writer and founder of @thegreatwomenartists Instagram account, Katy Hessel, takes a tour of our current exhibitions. Sharing her favourite works in the show, Katy explores the connections between the two artists working a century apart. ‘Nina Hamnett’ and ‘Lisa Brice’ are open until 31
Gerhard Richter | Patti Smith, Hans Ulrich Obrist, Rashaun Mitchell + Silas Riener
The Gagosian
The Gagosian Premieres celebrates “Gerhard Richter: Cage Paintings” with a musical performance and reading by Patti Smith, new choreography created and performed by Rashaun Mitchell + Silas Riener in response to the artist’s work, and commentaries by Hans Ulrich Obrist and Richard Calvocoressi.
Kimono: Kyoto to Catwalk | Hikihaku Woven Obi
Victoria and Albert Museum
For over ten generations, Yamaguchi Genbei’s family have been creating exquisitely crafted obi. We visited the workshops of Kondaya Genbei in Kyoto, Japan, to find out about the inspiration and creative process behind the designs and learn more about the technique from Genbei himself.
Jean Dubuffet: Brutal Beauty – Curator Tour
Barbican
Barbican Curator Eleanor Nairne takes us on a tour of her highlights from Jean Dubuffet: Brutal Beauty.
Curators’ tour of Nero: The man behind the myth
British Museum's Thorsten Opper and Francesca Bologna
Exhibition curators, Thorsten Opper and Francesca Bologna, takes us on an in-depth tour of the latest exhibition at the British Museum – Nero: The man behind the myth.
Free Online
Gareth’s Posh Mesopotamian Beer Drinking
The British Museum's #CuratorsCornered Series
When we presented Gareth Brereton with the task of choosing the best ostentatiously decorated, otherwise mundane object, he went straight to ancient beer, but posh ancient beer.
The Frick Collection’s Cocktails with a Curator
Every Friday at 5:00 p.m., join The Frick Collection for happy hour as a Frick curator (remotely) offers insights on a work of art with a complementary cocktail. Bring your own beverage to this virtual event.
Free Online
Meditation & Mindfulness: Plum Blossoms
Smithsonian's National Museum of Asian Art
Meditation helps us build a relationship to a place of inner quietude. To contribute to a sense of calm in this uncertain time, we are offering free 30-minute online meditations three times each week led by DC-based meditation teachers.
Curator Chats Series: The Significance of African Americans in Sports
With Dr. Damion L. Thomas
Damion Thomas discusses experiences that sparked his interest in researching the history of African Americans in sports, and some of his favorite objects in our Sports: Leveling the Playing Field exhibition.
Theatre, Opera and Concerts
Free Online
Berliner Philharmoniker
Various Artists
Berliner Philharmoniker Digital Concert Hall presents a variety of free concerts in the upcoming weeks and months....
Online
Phantom Of The Opera at the Royal Albert Hall-25th Anniversary Celebration
In celebration of the 25th Anniversary of Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera, Cameron Mackintosh produced a unique, spectacular staging of the musical on a scale which had never been seen before....
Festival Highlights
24th November 2021
Hay Festival Winter Weekend
Save the dates: we're busy developing some exciting plans for the next Hay Festival Winter Weekend, scheduled to take place 24–28 November 2021. Our programme will be unveiled in the autumn...
Unmissable Long Reads
50 Years Ago, NASA Put a Car on the Moon
Rebecca Boyle
The lunar rovers of Apollo 15, 16 and 17 parked American automotive culture on the lunar surface, and expanded the scientific range of the missions’ astronaut explorers.
Can Affirmative Action Survive?
Nicholas Lemann
The policy has made diversity possible. Now, after decades of debate, the Supreme Court is poised to decide its fate.
Are Americans More Trusting Than They Seem?
Idrees Kahloon
Political scientists say that our confidence in our institutions—and in one another—is running perilously low. Economists see a different story.
The German Experiment That Placed Foster Children with Pedophiles
Rachel Aviv
With the approval of the government, a renowned sexologist ran a dangerous program. How could this happen?
The Radical Women Who Paved the Way for Free Speech and Free Love
Margaret Talbot
Anthony Comstock’s crusade against vice constrained the lives of ordinary Americans. His antagonists opened up history for feminists and other activists.
Plagues and Empires
John Rapley
What can the decline of the Roman Empire and the end of European feudalism tell us about COVID-19 and the future of the West?
The Hockey Sister
Sarah Miller
New Yorker, Personal Essay. – “I wanted to feel more charitably toward him, but something in my mind and body wouldn’t let me. It seemed impossible to become myself without hating him.”
City of Bees
Tim Maendel
Notes of an Urban Beekeeper – “It is not my world. Despite being called a “keeper” I have no control here.”
Illusions of empire: Amartya Sen on what British rule really did for India
It is true that before British rule, India was starting to fall behind other parts of the world – but many of the arguments defending the Raj are based on serious misconceptions about India’s past, imperialism and history itself.
The Little Hedge Fund Taking Down Big Oil
Jessica Camille Aguirre
An activist investment firm won a shocking victory at Exxon Mobil. But can new directors really put the oil giant on a cleaner path?
Unmissable Podcasts
Africa’s Oldest Burial
The Science Hour
Maria Martinon-Torres and a team from Kenya and Germany used techniques from paleontology and forensic science to reveal his story from the fragile remains....
Humor Us
Hidden Brain
The average four-year-old child laughs 300 times a day. By contrast, it takes more than two months for the average 40-year-old adult to laugh that many times. This week, we talk with behavioral scientist Jennifer Aaker of Stanford University about why so many of us fall off a “humor cliff” as we become adults....
Elizabeth Gilbert Meets Julia Cameron – The Path to Higher Creativity
How To Academy Podcast
Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way has inspired millions to realise their passions – including Eat, Pray, Love author Elizabeth Gilbert. Coming together for this podcast, they show us the path to a creatively-fulfilling life....
Dr Gabor Maté on Why We Are All Addicts
Feel Better Live More
In conversation with Dr Rangan Chatterjee, Dr Gabor Mate talks about how we now live in a culture that doesn’t meet our human needs....
Derren Brown – How To Be a Little Happier
Learn how to think differently and overcome anxiety in a difficult world with the legendary star of stage and screen....
Israel Story – Ep. 1: Faking It
Mishy Harman and Ira Glass
From our relationship with Ira Glass to priceless antiquities all the way to coveted sick passes – Israeli stories that are anything but real. In our very first episode, the Israel Story team delves into the realm of fakes, forgeries, and mimicry. Three stories, from different periods and places, of people pretending to to be something they are not....
The Portal
Eric Weinstein
The Portal is an exploration into discovery, including conversations with thought leaders....
Revisionist Revisited: A Good Walk Spoiled
Malcolm Gladwell
Golfers everywhere love to hate this episode. Since its debut in Season 2, the subject of golf ignites Malcolm's Twitter feed like no other. Revisionist History is Malcolm Gladwell's journey through the overlooked and the misunderstood....
How to Fail: Mo Gawdat on how to cope with anxiety in a time of Coronavirus
How To Fail With Elizabeth Day
Elizabeth Day and Mo Gawdat, the former Chief Business Officer for Google [X], talk about how to handle negative thoughts, how to practise gratitude and the concept of 'committed acceptance', working out what you can actively do to make life better....
Katrine Marcal and Caroline Criado Perez – Mother of Invention
How To Academy Podcast
For too long we have underestimated the consequences of sexism in our economy. In conversation with Caroline Criado Perez, Katrine Marçal sets the record straight and shows how, in a time of crisis, the ingenuity and intelligence of women is that very thing that can save us....
Penguin Perspectives
Penguin Podcast
Penguin Perspectives is a collection of essays by twenty Penguin authors, written as a direct response to the Covid-19 crisis. These authors have recorded their essays from their homes during lockdown, and these recordings are collected together here...
