While TED talks are a chance to hear from some of the world’s most influential figures and learn about a wealth of different topics, there’s something special about ditching the screen and booking a ticket to hear those who inspire you speak in person. Each month, the Culture Whisper team rounds up the most exciting talks happening in London to book now.
Zadie Smith was discovered as a student writer of short stories, and now she’s back with her first collection of them. Grand Union features a mixture of unpublished stories and older works from the New Yorker and elsewhere. It spans genres, demonstrating Smith’s versatility and providing split perspectives on our modern world. Hear her discussing the collection with Diana Evans, author of 26a, The Wonderand Ordinary People. Fittingly, both authors write on questions of belonging – or feeling like you’re in the in-between.
PRICE: £35 (including book)
London-based artist Laura Grace Ford draws on the works of William Blake in her art, delving into spatial narratives, contested space, architecture, fiction and memory. On the anniversary of Blake’s birthday, she’ll be speaking on his politics and poetry, matching the town that Blake knew to the experience of being out and about in the contemporary city. London is different now, of course, but Blake’s fighting spirit makes him ever relevant.
PRICE: £10
Margaret Atwood’s popular dystopian novel The Handmaid’s Tale, which was first published in 1985, found a whole new audience when it was adapted for TV in 2017. This year – more than 30 years since the book was published – Atwood is publishing a sequel: The Testaments. To celebrate the book’s release, Atwood is doing a six-day tour around the UK to talk about the book. The tour begins at the National Theatre in London on 10 September – the day of the book’s release. The National Theatre date is being broadcast in over 1,000 cinemas around the world, with Yesterday actress Lily James making an appearance as a special guest.
PRICE: £15 – £25
Book tickets
For one night only this November, acclaimed novelist and award-winning screenwriter David Nicholls is taking to the stage at the Bridge Theatre to discuss his Sunday Times bestseller Sweet Sorrow. The event is a chance to ask Nicholls any questions you have about his latest book or indeed his earlier work, which includes the novel-turned-film One Day and BAFTA award-winning screenplay for Patrick Melrose.
PRICE: £15 - £30
To celebrate his 80th birthday in a somewhat unconventional way, multi-award winning actor Sir Ian McKellen is touring around the country performing 80 one-night solo shows in 80 different theatres. The performances themselves promise an eclectic mix of material – from revived snippets of some of Sir Ian’s best-loved roles, to anecdotes from his 60-year career and recitals of gay poetry. Sir Ian begins his tour with 16 performances in London; follow the link below to find out where he’s performing.
PRICE: £15 – £45 (All profits will be given to charities sponsored by each individual theatre)
Join curator Mark Godfrey (in September) or assistant curator Emma Lewis (in December) for an in-depth introduction to the Tate Modern’s Olafur Eliasson: In real life exhibition. This is a chance to learn about Eliasson’s large-scale installations and the way he addresses climate change, sustainability and migration as well as nature, geometry and perception in his work. The talk is followed by an opportunity to explore the exhibition independently after hours.
PRICE: £25.50
Holly Bourne, author of YA novel Am I Normal Yet?, is meeting up with Gina Martin, the activist who made upskirting illegal. In their talk, they’ll cover everything from romance to feminism, #metoo, mental illness and, of course, tears in public. This event is organised in partnership with Women’s Aid, and will also feature performance poetry from a young survivor working with the charity. Adults and young people alike should flock to Waterstones Piccadilly for stories that inspire and reassure.
PRICE: £14
In 2012, Megan and her sister Grace defected from the Westboro Baptist Church, their family’s homophobic and anti-Semitic religious sect who picketed schools and funerals and praised God for punishing people with illness. The world was watching, and so was Louis Theroux. His documentaries on the church are some of TV’s most thought-provoking moments. Now Megan is releasing a memoir, Unfollow: A Journey from Hatred to Hope, and Waterstones is hosting one more discussion between documentarist and defector.
PRICE: £28
The Royal Academy’s mammoth exhibition of Freud’s mirror moments will be introduced by guest curator Jasper Sharp of the Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna, in this talk. Spanning nearly seven decades, this is (astonishingly) the first ever exhibition dedicated solely to self-portraiture in the intensely private artist’s work. Sharp will delve into its key themes and works – an expert insight into what promises to be a seminal show.
PRICE: £10
If you love listening to journalists Dolly Alderton and Pandora Sykes rounding up the week’s pop-culture and current affairs highlights on their podcast The High Low, now’s your chance to get closer to the experience. The duo are touring an event, The High Low Experience, an immersive event encapsulating the curiosity, comedy and bibliophilia that goes into creating what has become the UK's leading female podcast. The live show is coming to the Barbican Centre for one night only and tickets are likely to sell out fast.
PRICE: £20 – £30
If you’ve seen the RA’s stunning exhibition of Helene Schjerfbeck’s work, or want to swat up on the prominent Finnish artist before you do, now’s your chance. Exhibition curator Jeremy Lewison is discussing the artist’s work, delving into everything from her naturalistic style to why Schjerfbeck (1862 – 1945) is one of Scandinavia’s best-known artists but this current exhibition marks the first time her work has been exhibited in the UK.
PRICE: £6 – £10
They’re fierce, feisty, and not always without controversy – and this November, renowned children’s author Jacqueline Wilson is bringing them all onto the stage. At the British Library, she’ll be speaking about her ‘rebel girls’ – female characters who stand up for themselves. There will be a book signing after the event, which also celebrates Wilson’s latest release in the Tracy Beaker series, We Are The Beaker Girls. Tales of strong women for young people’s eyes have never been more salient than now.
PRICE: £16
The hills are alive! The octogenarian actress behind Maria, Mary Poppins and the Queen of Genovia will discuss her new memoir which reflects on her years in Tinseltown. Andrews boats an impressive career with a filmography spanning over 50 years and enough accolades to earn a Tony award short of an EGOT. As one of this country’s most recognisable exports, this conversation with Olivier award-winning actor Alex Jennings is undoubtedly an exciting chance to catch the thespian in action. Each ticket also includes a copy of her memoir Home Work: A Memoir of my Hollywood Years.
PRICE: £30 – £125
Angel of the North is two decades old, and Antony Gormley is back for his first major show in a UK public gallery in over a decade. Guest co-curator Martin Caiger-Smith has worked on this exhibition extensively with Gormley for several years, and will share all at this special curator’s introduction. Expect the intersection of bodies, lines and spaces, the revelation of rarely exhibited works, and galleries filled with seawater and clay. Gormley is making of the RA a ‘test site’ – somewhere to explore the space we inhabit.
PRICE: £10
Sarah Perry was born into a family of devout and strict Baptists, and when she became a writer, good and evil took on explosive dimensions in her work. The author ofThe Essex Serpent will be speaking on her fourth book, Melmoth, at Daunt Books Marylebone. It travels the world at Gothic pace, spanning time and place. Whether you’re caught up with her seventeenth-century England, 1920s Turkey or exotic Manila, you won’t be bored.
PRICE: £10
Ever felt like you should be a better feminist? If the answer is yes, then you’ll be happy to hear that so has Deborah Frances-White: once, she went to a women’s rights march, popped into the toilet at a department store and got distracted trying on face cream – and when she came out again, the march was gone. Instances like these make up the podcast The Guilty Feminist, where Frances-White and her guests discuss topics ‘all feminists agree on’, whilst confessing the paradoxes and insecurities that undermine their principles.
The podcast has been downloaded over 60 million times since 2016 – so check out what the hype is about and join Frances-White and her special guests live on 21 October.
PRICE: Check with the box office for returns
Conservative MP and former Labour Party member Rory Stewart has some serious life experience under his belt: from walking across Afghanistan to becoming Deputy Governor of Iraq, advising Hillary Clinton to tutoring Prince William. Stewart has been something of a political breakout star this year, coming forward with his own take on plans for a healthy Brexit (if there is such a thing). Stewart is in conversation with Hannah MacInnes at an event hosted by the How To Academy, which is a chance to hear first hand about his life and career.
PRICE: £30
The Independent called him ‘our greatest living director’, and this October Peter Brook will be switching wings for stage at the Lyttelton Theatre. The topic of conversation is his new book, Playing by Ear: Reflections on Music and Sound, which tracks the role of music in theatre and plays back some of his directorial highlights. Audiobooks of Brook’sThe Quality of Mercy: Reflections on Shakespeare (2013) and The Empty Space (1968) will also be released in October, and the multiple award-winning director will be signing copies of his new work after the talk.
PRICE: £9
The former vice president of the United States Al Gore has been an outspoken advocate for taking action against climate change for decades. After opening the world’s eyes to the effects of climate change with a pair of acclaimed documentaries, the Nobel Peace Prize winner has become one of the most prominent environmentalists alongside the likes of Greta Thunberg and activist group Extinction Rebellion.
Gore brings his climate crusade to the Emmanuel Centre where he is speaking in conversation with Paul van Zyl, a founding member of the Conduit members' club, about the measures governments, organisations and individuals can take against one of the major issues facing the planet today.
PRICE: £45
If you're stuck in a creative or productive rut, this talk from entrepreneur Marie Forleo might just be the key to success. Forleo gained Oprah's seal of approval after she accumulated a business empire that includes a web series watched by millions and an online business school. Sharing her valuable insights, Forleo is leading a masterclass that covers topics like training your brain to keep a positive mindset, and overcoming criticism and imposter syndrome.
PRICE: £36 – £44
Head to the British Library for an evening of readings and reflections on one of Britain’s great Romantic poets: John Keats. Completed in September 1819, Keats's odes are still considered among the finest poems in the English language, and are taught on school and university syllabuses across the country and beyond. This event is a chance to hear readings and reflections on Keats’s work.
PRICE: £12 / £8 for under 18s
Discover some of the most exiting talents the literary world has to offer at the Southbank Centre, where the Autumn Literature Season is one of the most jam-packed to date. Expect to hear from big personalities, ranging from psychotherapist Philippa Perry to documentary filmmaker Louis Theroux. Follow the link below for our highlights.
PRICE: Depends on event
The former chairman of Condé Nast Britain knows a fair bit about the intricacies of British highlife. Over his 30-year career, he has managed 130 global magazines and surfed the glittering waves of the fashion and journalism industries. Now, this social surgeon unpacks all in this conversation organised by How To Academy, plying audiences with insider knowledge and piercing wit. 2019 is no Dangerous Liaisons – but who knew high society was still so exciting?
PRICE: £30
How To Academy’s flagship conference collates the individuals who make the future. Fertility and genetics expert Robert Winston will be speaking on genetically enhancing humans, and celebrated linguist Noam Chomsky will be buzzing in on video from Arizona. Right at the intersection of science and culture, this event will span topics from democracy and the future of healthcare to the problems technology creates and solves. These are the issues of tomorrow, and our motto is: always be prepared.
PRICE: £159 – £169
Southbank Centre has a lot going for it this autumn, and at the heart of the season is the London Literature Festival. This year the emphasis is on oral folk traditions spanning the globe, and speakers include poet Nikki Giovanni and cultural commentators Jeffrey Boakye and Nels Abbey. Hear well-trodden fairy tales through new ears – or gain an insight into what it is like when race, place or experience make you feel different to the norm.
PRICE: varies
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