Highlights
4th October 2021 - 6:30 pm
Online - BST
Murder on the Dance Floor
Sophie Ellis-Bextor In Conversation With Matthew Stadlen
Pop legend Sophie Ellis-Bextor joins us to share stories and reflections on music, motherhood and her lessons for success.
GO TO EVENT21st October 2021 - 7:30 pm
Live and Online
Steven Pinker – Live on Stage in London
Rationality - What It Is, Why It Seems Scarce, Why It Matters
Join the world-renowned public intellectual and Harvard cognitive scientist for a guide to rationality during an epidemic of unreason.
GO TO EVENT30th 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.
GO TO EVENT28th September 2021 - 7:30 pm
Online - BST
Wole Soyinka In Conversation
The Nobel Prize-winning Nigerian writer introduces his first novel in 48 years, in a livestreamed conversation.
GO TO EVENT16th September 2021 - 6:30 pm
Online - BST
Robin diAngelo and Beverly Daniel Tatum – Conversations About Race
In Conversation With Hannah MacInnes
Two of the most influential thinkers on race and racism in the 21st century join us to explore how we can move forward.
GO TO EVENTFeatured Events
21st September 2021 - 7:00 pm
Online - ET
Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen in Conversation
Vanderbilt: The Rise and Fall of an American Dynasty
For most of his life, CNN anchor, CBS’ 60 Minutes correspondent and New York Times bestselling author, Anderson Cooper intentionally distanced himself from the Vanderbilt dynasty his mother was born into....
22nd September 2021 - 6:30 pm
Online - BST
The Business Survival Kit – A No-Nonsense Guide to Successful Entrepreneurship
Byron Cole and Bianca Miller-Cole
Bianca and Byron Cole know first hand how hard it is to found and lead a successful business. They’re here to guide you every step of the way....
23rd September 2021 - 6:30 pm
Online - BST
Pandora Sykes Meets Shaparak Khorsandi
Comedian, author, memoirist and broadcaster: Shaparak Khorsandi is a modern day comedy polymath, equally adept at thrilling the crowds at the Palladium and bravura literary storytelling....
24th September 2021 - 7:00 pm
Online - BST
An Evening With Katherine Ryan
Live for one night only, join the writer, podcaster and actress as she celebrates the publication of her debut book, The Audacity....
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....
27th September 2021 - 6:30 pm
Online - BST
An Evening With Richard Thaler
In Conversation with Tim Harford
Inspiring leaders from the World Bank to the White House, Richard Thaler’s Nudge was that rare marvel: a book that genuinely changed the world. Now the Nobel Laureate joins us with new insights....
28th September 2021 - 7:30 pm
Online - BST
Wole Soyinka In Conversation
The Nobel Prize-winning Nigerian writer introduces his first novel in 48 years, in a livestreamed conversation....
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....
30th September 2021 - 7:00 pm
Online - ET
Malcolm Gladwell: Talking to Strangers
How would you rate your ability to size up other people?...
4th October 2021 - 6:30 pm
Online - BST
Murder on the Dance Floor
Sophie Ellis-Bextor In Conversation With Matthew Stadlen
Pop legend Sophie Ellis-Bextor joins us to share stories and reflections on music, motherhood and her lessons for success....
4th October 2021 - 7:15 pm
Live and Online
Bernard-Henri Lévy – Live On Stage In London
Dispatches from a World of Misery and Hope
For fifty years philosopher and activist Bernard-Henri Lévy has reported on the world’s most urgent and overlooked humanitarian crises and human rights abuses....
6th October 2021 - 7:30 pm
Online - ET
The Future after Covid
Parag Khanna and Ian Bremmer in Conversation
Futurist, and bestselling author Parag Khanna believes in his latest book Move that there are powerful global forces that will cause billions of us to move geographically over the next decades, ushering in an era of radical change for all of us....
11th October 2021 - 6:30 pm
Online - BST
Powers and Thrones – An Epic New History of the Middle Ages
Dan Jones
The bestselling author of The Templars joins us to tell the story of how the world we know today came to be built....
12th October 2021 - 5:00 pm
Online - BST
The Future of Israel
Mira Awad, Alistair Burt MP, and Amnon Be’eri-Sulitzeanu
Aspen UK’s public online programmes help people stay connected and engaged. It’s what we do best – bring people together to debate political and social issues and confront their different perspectives....
14th October 2021 - 6:30 pm
Online - BST
How to Win at Work – the Ultimate Guide for Women
Helena Morrissey In Conversation With Hannah MacInnes
FTSE 250 Chair and founder of the 30% Club Baroness Morrissey joins us with a guide to achieving your career goals by finding, and embracing, your authentic personal style....
21st October 2021 - 7:30 pm
Live and Online
Steven Pinker – Live on Stage in London
Rationality - What It Is, Why It Seems Scarce, Why It Matters
Join the world-renowned public intellectual and Harvard cognitive scientist for a guide to rationality during an epidemic of unreason....
25th October 2021 - 4:00 pm
Online - BST
Ai Weiwei Meets Raj Patel and Rupa Marya
On Health, Medicine, and Global Injustice
In conversation with the artist and activist Ai Weiwei, a doctor and an economist explore the links between health and structural injustices, and set out a radical vision for a fairer world....
28th October 2021 - 7:30 pm
Online - ET
Why Design Matters
Debbie Millman and Roxane Gay
In Why Design Matters: Conversations with the World’s Most Creative People, Debbie Millman—author, educator, brand consultant, and host of the award-winning podcast Design Matters—showcases dozens of her most exciting interviews....
2nd December 2021 - 7:30 pm
Online - ET
Jonathan Franzen: Crossroads
Jonathan Franzen returns with a much-anticipated new novel, Crossroads, a sweeping look at the country’s shifting culture as told through the experiences of a Midwestern family in crisis one winter’s day in the early 1970s....
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.
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
4th October 2021
The New Yorker Festival
Stanley Tucci, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Jane Goodall, and more
Tickets are now on sale for the 2021 Festival, which will feature conversations, screenings, meals, and performances with a lineup of influential guests....
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
Reading Dante’s Purgatory While the World Hangs in the Balance
Judith Thurman
Seven centuries after the poet’s death, we may finally be ready for his epic of punishment and penance.
‘I Helped Destroy People’
Janet Reitman
Terry Albury, an idealistic F.B.I. agent, grew so disillusioned by the war on terror that he was willing to leak classified documents — and go to prison for doing it.
Who Lost the Sex Wars?
Amia Srinivasan
Fissures in the feminist movement should not be buried as signs of failure but worked through as opportunities for insight.
A Better Place
David Sedaris
Why the euphemisms? My father did not “pass.” Neither did he “depart.” He died.
In an Increasingly Noisy Arctic, Will Narwhals Fall Silent?
Marguerite Holloway
The marine mammals have been observed to stop vocalizing, hunting, and feeding after hearing underwater blasts.
Monica Lewinsky Is (Reluctantly) Revisiting ‘That Woman’
Jessica Bennett
As a producer on the new FX series “Impeachment,” she hopes to reframe her story and boost her burgeoning Hollywood career. But that doesn’t mean the experience has been easy.
Cold comfort: how cold water swimming cured my broken heart
Wendell Steavenson
After a painful breakup and the death of her father, one writer retreated to the coast of Brittany in winter where she tested the powerful effects of a daily swim in the icy sea.
Britain’s Idyllic Country Houses Reveal a Darker History
Sam Knight
Great estates are among the country’s treasures. But their connections to slavery and colonialism are forcing visitors to reckon with myths they may not want to abandon.
Why Are So Many Knowledge Workers Quitting?
Cal Newport
The coronavirus pandemic threw everyone into Walden Pond.
Did They Really Make It Rain Over Dubai? Does It Matter?
Paul McAdory
You’d think the idea that humans can modify the weather would be exciting.
Unmissable Podcasts
Agree to Disagree: Leaving Afghanistan
Intelligence Squared Podcast
Those who say “yes” argue that the world is a decidedly different place than it was in 2001, that the mission was never to nation-build, and that continued presence prolonged the violence and distracted energies and resources away from more pressing global challenges, particularly on those centered on China....
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...
