The Spirituality Gap: Searching for Meaning in a Secular Age
Abi Millar is a journalist and author living in London. She studied English at Cambridge University and science journalism at City University London, and has written for outlets including Patient, Netdoctor, Elle, Harper’s Bazaar, New Statesman, and Vice. She is also a yoga teacher with a long-standing fascination with the intersection of critical thinking and […]
The Empathy Fix
Poverty is detrimental to everyone. Being at the sharp end of disadvantage is shameful, reduces brainpower, and hampers positive action. It increases crime, burdens healthcare systems, and raises taxpayers’ bills. While the ultra-rich bask in the glory of superstar status, people in poverty are cast as second-rate citizens. Deeply ingrained prejudice and punitive policies lead […]
Women and the Far Right
We are in a new age of terror, with self-radicalising, hard-to-categorise individuals planning violence. Each one caught by the British state tells us something about British society. Security services are striving to contain a staggering 3,000 far-right extremists, Islamists, and other potential threats. From dating websites and prison cells to Telegram networks and Tesco knives, […]
Messy Modern Love
Artist Philippa Found’s Lockdown Love Stories project emerged during the early days of the pandemic. Through anonymous submissions, people shared their unfiltered stories. From exes to being single, hookups to breakups, dating, situationships, friendships, and relationships, these aren’t love stories; they’re stories about love. Beyond lockdown, the project thrived, collecting over 1,500 stories. Philippa’s book, […]
Why Optimism Wins
What does Ernest Shackleton’s Antarctic expedition have in common with the chicken that crossed the road? Or James Baldwin’s campaign for civil rights with the development of AI? Or even Crossrail with George Bush’s ‘mission accomplished’? Optimism, irrational though it might seem, is central to the human psyche: it appears to provide us with an […]
Single and Thriving
Around 40 per cent of UK adults are single at any one time. Far from being a transitional state between relationships, singledom offers freedom, self-discovery, and self-determination. However, there are challenges, both social and economic. How do you handle being ill alone? Who do you call if you’re stranded late at night? If you can’t […]
Redefining Consent, Work and Rights
As part of our Sexpectations season, we host former sex worker and campaigner Elizabeth G, alongside representatives from the East London Stripper Collective to discuss sex work in the UK and the fight for the rights of those involved. Elizabeth is a British author and podcaster, campaigning for equality for sex workers. She is currently working […]
Mavericks: Lessons from History’s Most Extraordinary Misfits
Witty and engaging TikTok historian J Draper digs out unusual stories of individuals who have shaped the world, uncovering the lessons their unique experiences can teach us. Breaking away from history told through the lens of kings, queens, and nobles, this book instead lifts the lid on 24 fascinating stories of little-known underdogs, mavericks, trailblazers, […]
A Secret History of Thinking on Paper
In this Ethical Matters talk, Irving Finkel, founder of The Great Diary Project, and Roland Allen, author of The Notebook: A History of Thinking on Paper, will delve into the profound role diaries and notebooks have played in documenting personal histories and preserving cultural heritage. Exploring the intersection of ethics, memory, and creativity, they will discuss […]