After almost a decade and a half of Tory rule, the 2024 General Election saw the Conservatives suffer their worst-ever defeat: they received 7.14 million fewer votes than in 2019; 23.7 per cent is their lowest ever vote share; and their current 121 MP contingent is their smallest since 1832. Meanwhile, the rise of Reform ... Anthony Seldon – Sunak at 10

Johnny Ball spent seventeen years working as a stand up comedian, and twenty years with BBC Television, where he wrote and presented twenty series of award winning programmes, including Play School, Think of a Number and Think Again, followed by five educational stage musicals, which played nationwide to many thousands of students and the first ... Johnny Ball – Stories That Must Be Told

In 2021, Anthony Seldon, inspired by a fallen First World War soldier who dreamed of a ‘Via Sacra’ tocommemorate the war dead and stand as a marker for the triumph of peace, set out on a 1,000km walktracing the historic route of the Western Front. He went on to recount that story in the widely ... Anthony Seldon – The Path of Light

For over 10,000 years, the human race has been busy altering our environment and embracing 'progress', evolving seamlessly from hunter gatherers to the modern urban sophisticates we seeourselves as today. But what are the ideas and inventions that enabled humanity to become, by the early 21st century, a majority urban species for the first time? ... Jonn Elledge – 31 Inventions that Built Our World

Beloved, bestselling author Victoria Hislop explores the turbulence of the post-war era in Greece in this unforgettable and riveting new novel that will delight those fans who cherish The Island and The Figurine. During three years of brutal civil war in Greece, thousands of children were caught in the chaos that swept across the country. ... Victoria Hislop – The Wine Dark Sea

In Afterburn, Blake Morrison returns to poetry, his first calling, to offer scenes from his own life and the lives of others. In psychology, 'afterburn' refers to the time before a past event is assimilated – an idea that resonates through these poems (which themselves linger after reading) about memory and our attempts to articulate, ... Blake Morrison – Afterburn and On Memoir

Julian Fellowes is a multi-award-winning actor, writer, director, producer and Conservative peer. In conversation, Julian will talk about his early life, acting and the writing career that made him a household name. As creator of Downton Abbey, he has won three Emmy awards as well as the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for Gosford ... Julian Fellowes – In Conversation: My Life and Work

Please note that this event has been rescheduled for 10:30 am. Existing ticket holders can email [email protected] if they are unable to make this date and wish to request a refund. A gripping biography of Elizabethan seafarer Thomas Cavendish, from his triumphant circumnavigation of the world to his ill-fated final voyage.In June 1593, a ghostly ... Iain Gately – The Queen’s Pirate

An epic, visceral history of the Romans in Britain, from Caesar’s first invasion attempt in 55 BC to the fall of the Roman Empire, by the author of Rome: Eternal City. Bringing together archaeology, anthropology, geology and history, Addis paints a vivid portrait of what life was like for Roman and Briton during these centuries, ... Ferdinand Addis – Conquest: The Roman Invasion of Britain

Is Britain stuck in a doom loop of higher debt and higher taxes? Or can we fix the British economy?Jeremy Hunt argues that getting out of Britain’s low growth is ... Jeremy Hunt – Can We Be Rich Again?

Please note that this event has been rescheduled for 16:00. Existing ticket holders can email [email protected] if they are unable to make this date and wish to request a refund. ... Dr Eleanor Drage – What If We Got AI Right?

The Sisterhood Rules: For twin sisters Isabel and Verity, the sisterhood rules were shattered when Verity had an affair with Izzy's husband. Unforgivable, right? Devastated by her sister's betrayal, Izzy ... Kathy Lette – The Sisterhood Rules