Calendar

What's coming up...

Mon, 25 Mar

Michael Taylor: Dinosaurs and the death of religion

The discovery of dinosaurs upended our understanding of the origins of the world and made way for the secular age we’re living in. Now atheism seems to be falling back out of fashion, what does the war between rationalism and religion have to tell us about our future? Author and historian Michael Taylor joins UnHerd to talk about his new book ‘Impossible Monsters’.

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Thu, 23 May

Marilynne Robinson: Reading Genesis

Pulitzer prize-winning novelist and essayist Marilynne Robinson (Gilead, Housekeeping) makes a rare public appearance at the UnHerd Club on 23 May to discuss her new book Reading Genesis. Follow her journey between the past and present for an evening of reflection on the radical beauty of biblical writing.

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Previous events

Tue, 12 Mar 2024

Rob Henderson: The Era of Luxury Beliefs

Why are the top 1% so politically correct? Rob Henderson coined the term ‘luxury beliefs’ to explain how affluent people signal high status with ‘woke’ ideas. In his new memoir ‘Troubled’, Henderson tells the story of a difficult childhood and how it opened his eyes to the hypocrisy of America’s elite. He joins UnHerd’s Freddie Sayers to discuss the concept of luxury beliefs and much more.

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Mon, 26 Feb 2024

Dr. Sumantra Maitra: The World after NATO

A recent essay by Director of Research at The American Ideas Institute Dr. Sumantra Maitra on a ‘dormant NATO’ recently made waves with foreign policy experts. These influential figures could end up in office should Trump win the 2024 election, so it’s worth asking: is NATO winding down? Dr. Maitra joins UnHerd to discuss the possibility of a revolutionised security state, with UnHerd writer Aris Roussinos.

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Mon, 19 Feb 2024

Sean Langan: ‘The Other Side’ Screening

Award-winning war reporter Sean Langan is no stranger to revealing the reality behind wartime propaganda. He has reported from the most dangerous parts of the world and was once held captive by the Taliban. For his latest film, Langan has filmed with battalions of Russian soldiers fighting in Eastern Ukraine. Join the filmmaker for an evening of conversation and exclusive clips from ‘The Other Side’.

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Tue, 23 Jan 2024

Emergency Event: Is the university doomed?

Amid the fallout of the Ivy League plagiarism scandal and resignation of Harvard President Claudine Gay, UnHerd invites philosophy professors to answer the question: can the university system be saved?

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Wed, 17 Jan 2024

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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Tue, 12 Dec 2023

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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Thu, 23 Nov 2023

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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Mon, 13 Nov 2023

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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Wed, 18 Oct 2023

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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Mon, 16 Oct 2023

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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Mon, 9 Oct 2023

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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Mon, 25 Sep 2023

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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Thu, 21 Sep 2023

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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Tue, 5 Sep 2023

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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Tue, 18 Jul 2023

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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Wed, 5 Jul 2023

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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Thu, 29 Jun 2023

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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Fri, 23 Jun 2023

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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Wed, 14 Jun 2023

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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Tue, 6 Jun 2023

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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Tue, 30 May 2023

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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Mon, 22 May 2023

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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Sun, 21 May 2023

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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Wed, 17 May 2023

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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Tue, 9 May 2023

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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Thu, 27 Apr 2023

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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Fri, 21 Apr 2023

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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Thu, 20 Apr 2023

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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Wed, 5 Apr 2023

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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Mon, 27 Mar 2023

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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Wed, 22 Mar 2023

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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Wed, 15 Mar 2023

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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Tue, 28 Feb 2023

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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Thu, 23 Feb 2023

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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Thu, 16 Feb 2023

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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Mon, 13 Feb 2023

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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Wed, 8 Feb 2023

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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Wed, 1 Feb 2023

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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Wed, 25 Jan 2023

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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Thu, 19 Jan 2023

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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Wed, 11 Jan 2023

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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Mon, 9 Jan 2023

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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Thu, 8 Dec 2022

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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Tue, 6 Dec 2022

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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Tue, 29 Nov 2022

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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Fri, 25 Nov 2022

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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Tue, 8 Nov 2022

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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