What's coming up...
Dominic Frisby: A Christmas cabaret
Award-winning musical comedian Dominic Frisby joins UnHerd for a festive Christmas cabaret. Settle in by the fire and enjoy an evening of unacceptable songs, free-thinking company and good cheer.
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Bring back the wolves: The rewilding debate
Rewilding is seen by some as a serious plan to restore balance to our ecosystems and by others as a nostalgic fantasy. Best-selling author and farmer John Lewis-Stempel will debate the issue with leading environmentalist Ben Goldsmith. How far is too far in the calls to restore our natural world – will we once again see wolves roaming the uplands of Europe?
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Autumn Aftermath: The UK Economy Conversation
Join Francine Lacqua, Anchor & Editor-at-large for Bloomberg TV and Freddie Sayers, UnHerd Editor-in-Chief, the day after the 2023 Autumn Statement for a panel with: John Micklethwait, Editor-in-Chief of Bloomberg, Allegra Stratton, Bloomberg News contributing editor, Adrian Wooldridge, Global Business Columnist at Bloomberg Opinion and Stephanie Flanders, Head of Bloomberg Economics.
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Ayaan Hirsi Ali: Infidel
What happens when standing for liberal values makes you a heretic? Ayaan Hirsi Ali, exiled human rights activist & bestselling author, joins us at the UnHerd Club to discuss her enduring belief in freedom and why defending Enlightenment values matters.
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Jonathan Sumption: The new hundred years war
Former Supreme Court judge, and celebrated historian of The Hundred Years War, Jonathan Sumption joins UnHerd’s Freddie Sayers to discuss continental entanglements past and present, and the disrupted civil and international order we face today.
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Graham Linehan & Andrew Doyle: Tough crowd
Join us for an evening with multi-award wining comedian and creator of Father Ted Graham Linehan. When he came down on the ‘wrong’ side of the transgender debate, Linehan was culturally exiled. But is the comedy industry still captured? In conversation with Andrew Doyle.
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Yascha Mounk: The identity trap
Whatever happened to universalism? Academic and author of The Identity Trap, Yascha Mounk, explores how a relatively obscure and marginal set of ideas about identity have come to dominate our social, cultural and political life – and makes the case for universal, humanist values.
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John Vervaeke: Awakening from the meaning crisis
All around us are signs of crisis. UnHerd’s Flo Read and philosopher and cognitive scientist John Vervaeke sat down at the UnHerd Club to diagnose the alienation and anxiety that pervades our contemporary culture. Is a “meaning crisis” at the root of all the other crises we face – environmental, political, spiritual?
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John Gray: Thoughts after liberalism
In our disrupted age, as Russia and China continue to rise, the West faces the return of destabilising dynamics in geopolitical power. Philosopher, and author of The New Leviathans, John Gray seeks to disabuse us of the liberal certainties that have distorted the Western mind and calls for us to return to realism.
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Steven Berkoff: Do the arts need a revolution?
Few contemporary artists command such cult status as Steven Berkoff. As a pioneer of radical theatre and film, his writing and performances are amongst the most iconic of the last century. He joined UnHerd’s Florence Read in conversation about the current state of the arts and why creative freedom matters
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Vandana Shiva & Chris Smaje: The war on farming
Iconic eco activist Vandana Shiva and author of A Small Farm Future Chris Smaje join UnHerd’s Florence Read to discuss the fightback against crony corporatism and the agricultural industrial complex.
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Tom Holland: Pax
At its peak, the Roman Empire was perhaps the greatest civilisation in history. But like so many cultures before and after it, it declined and finally ended. Historian Tom Holland joined UnHerd’s Freddie Sayers.
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Hijacking Traditionalism: Esoteric philosophy & the war in Ukraine
The mysterious philosophy of Perennialism has been used and misused since its beginnings – but what influence, if any, has it had on activists on either side of the Ukraine war? Mark Sedgwick joined Freddie Sayers for this conversation and Q&A.
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UnHerd Unleashed
After the success of the first collaboration with Comedy Unleashed, UnHerd presents some of Britain’s best stand-ups for a night of uncensored jokes for a free-thinking audience. With Francis Foster (MC), Jonathan Kogan, Cressida Wetton, Victor Daniels and Lewis Schaffer.
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Cleo Watson & Tom McTague: Life inside Westminster – beyond parody
To celebrate the launch of her new novel Whips, join former aide to Boris Johnson Cleo Watson and UnHerd political editor Tom McTague to talk Tory sleaze, SW1 scandal and how to write about a government that is already a satire of itself.
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Peter Turchin & Mary Harrington: Elite overproduction
Will elite overproduction end society as we know it? Russian-American complexity scientist Peter Turchin and UnHerd’s Mary Harrington discuss the era of Western decadence and the populist backlash that followed.
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Prof. Peter Boghossian & Mike Nayna: Revenge of the reformers
As social justice continues to corrupt academic scholarship, what hope is there for the university? Filmmaker Mike Nayna and philosopher Peter Boghossian joined UnHerd for a screening of The Reformers – their brand new investigative documentary – followed by Q&A.
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Paul Kingsnorth: Resisting the machine
How can normal people resist the increasingly technocratic and soulless nature of human life? Watch writer, activist and Orthodox convert Paul Kingsnorth in conversation with UnHerd’s Freddie Sayers for a guide to finding meaning in what he calls the ‘machine’.
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Reconstruction: Paul Kingsnorth & Mary Harrington
Immerse yourself into the mind of luminary writer Paul Kingsnorth, for a Sunday seminar on the theme of reconstruction. In dialogue with UnHerd’s Mary Harrington, we asked: when there’s nothing left to conserve, what is the point of conservatism?
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Prof. David Nutt: The promise of psychedelics
Join world-famous neuropsychopharmacologist Prof. David Nutt of the Centre for Psychedelic Research at Imperial College London for an evening of conversation about the cutting edge frontiers of psychedelic therapy.
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Kathleen Stock: Philosophical knots
Philosopher Kathleen Stock has become one of Britain’s most radical voices of reason, celebrated for her incisive cultural theory. She joined us for an evening of conversation about the Western crisis of meaning and how to read the myths we tell ourselves.
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Hadley Freeman & Sarah Ditum: Are teenage girls in trouble?
TikTok-obsessed and swept up in the gender wars, a generation of girls is struggling with mental illness. To explore why, join author Hadley Freeman and journalist Sarah Ditum in conversation with Sally Chatterton.
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UnHerd Unleashed
In our age of censorship, one reason for hope might be that comedy can cut through the culture wars. In UnHerd’s inaugural collaboration with Comedy Unleashed, join comedians Josh Howie, Alistair Williams, Rosie Wilby, Tania Edwards and Leo Kearse.
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Iain McGilchrist: The matter with things
From the left-brain right-brain divide to the metaphysics of magic, Dr Iain McGilchrist addresses the profound questions of living well. The esteemed thinker will be in conversation with Freddie Sayers.
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Nick Cave: In conversation with Freddie Sayers
Faith, Hope & Carnage: Join legendary musician and bestselling writer Nick Cave as he discusses his new book and beyond with UnHerd’s Freddie Sayers.
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The technocrat restoration: Has populism run out of steam?
In what appears to be a new golden age for the technocrat, UnHerd’s Freddie Sayers brings together a panel of political writers, Professor Matthew Goodwin, Baroness Claire Fox and Tom McTague to ask: is the party over for populists?
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UnHerd Lates: Live recording with special guests
A chance to gather with fellow free-thinkers for an evening of open discussion. Freddie Sayers and Florence Read will be joined by three stellar guests, all UnHerd contributors but from very different sides of the political spectrum. They are: fearless Leftist writer Aaron Bastani, radical philosopher Nina Power and firebrand trade unionist Paul Embery.
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Lionel Shriver: Insensitivity reader
If offence is against the rules, what hope is there for radical writing? Join world-famous author Lionel Shriver to discuss the decline of in-your-face fiction and the sinister rise of sensitivity readers.
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Hannah Barnes: The truth about the Tavistock clinic
The 2022 downfall of the Tavistock clinic in London was a decisive turning point in the debate around trans healthcare in the UK. Award-winning Newsnight journalist Hannah Barnes joins UnHerd Editor, Sally Chatterton, to reveal the results of her explosive investigation into the clinic and the medical scandal that followed.
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The Ukraine Debate
A year on from the Russian invasion, we ask if ongoing Western involvement is really the best way to end the war in Ukraine. Does the US and Europe have a moral responsibility to keep sending weapons and training soldiers if the conflict is drawn out?
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UnHerd Lates: Live with Ralph Schoellhammer & Silkie Carlo
A chance to gather with fellow free-thinkers for an evening of open discussion. For the second of our UnHerd Lates Freddie Sayers and Florence Read will be joined by special guests Ralph Schoellhammer, Silkie Carlo alongside other guests to debate and dissect the topics of the week over drinks and music.
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Zoe Strimpel vs Louise Perry: This house is proud to be promiscuous
Has hookup culture left women less happy? Louise Perry, UnHerd contributor and author of The Case Against the Sexual Revolution, goes head-to-head with Zoe Strimpel, historian, author and columnist on the era of casual sex.
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Andrew Doyle: The rise of the new puritans
How did the West get overtaken by social justice zealots? Join Andrew Doyle, political satirist and author of The New Puritans, for a discussion and drinks at UnHerd HQ. Hosted by UnHerd’s Freddie Sayers.
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An evening with Bret Easton Ellis
Is there room for radical art in 2023? Join Bret Easton Ellis, maverick author of American Psycho, to discuss his latest novel The Shards. Hosted by Jacob Furedi.
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Launch of UnHerd Lates
A chance to gather with fellow free thinkers and celebrate the launch of our new Lates programme. Join Freddie Sayers, Florence Read and special guests: Konstantin Kisin, and Izabella Kaminska.
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Mary Harrington & Elise Bohan: The transhumanism debate
Author of Future Superhuman and Oxford University AI ethicist, Elise Bohan, and UnHerd’s Mary Harrington come together to discuss transhumanism – the idea that human limits such as longevity and cognition can be pushed back and back using technology. Is this a utopian vision of a better future or a dystopian nightmare?
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Coleman Hughes: Defeating the race baiters
Join American culture critic and rapper Coleman Hughes and UnHerd’s Freddie Sayers to discuss the combustion of American race politics, the legacy of Black Lives Matter, and how to tackle a race-centred ideology that only furthers divisions.
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Matthew Crawford: Gratitude in a time of apocalypse
Join philosopher and bestselling author Matthew B Crawford for a New Year’s lecture and evening of discussion on how, during a time that seems so apocalyptic, we can still find gratitude. Let the author of The Case for Working with Your Hands persuade you that the Cosmos is fundamentally on our side.
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Helen Joyce & Julie Bindel: Should TERFs unite with the right?
The UK’s ‘gender critical’ feminists have been instrumental in the fight for sex-based rights. But one question risks dividing the movement: should they ally with Right wing forces in pursuit of their objectives? Author of ‘Trans’ Helen Joyce and women’s rights campaigner Julie Bindel hash it out.
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Ariel Pink & Winston Marshall: Freedom of expression in the music industry
Indie legend Ariel Pink became a pariah from the music business after he attended the January 6th rallies in support of Donald Trump. We ask him if there’s a free speech problem in the arts, in conversation with Winston Marshall, who left the band Mumford and Sons after a media storm of his own.
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Adam Curtis: Inside the propaganda machine
His documentaries are enigmatic, macabre and downright mind-bending. Join cult documentary filmmaker Adam Curtis in conversation with UnHerd’s Aris Roussinos alongside an exclusive screening of hand-selected archive clips.
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Andrew Sullivan: In conversation with Freddie Sayers
British then American, conservative Catholic then Obama voter and activist for gay marriage, writer Andrew Sullivan is no stranger to shifting philosophies. We ask him, in an increasingly divided United States, what will become of the American spirit? Stay for drinks and good conversation.
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National Conservatism and the UK: Is now the moment?
Israeli philosopher Yoram Hazony is at the forefront of a new group of conservatives who are trying to bring the nation and religion back to the Right. Do they represent a post-liberal future? Freddie Sayers will attempt to find out, followed by Q&A and drinks.
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