Intelligence Squared

Rob Drummond is Professor of Sociolinguistics at Manchester Metropolitan University. His recent book You’re All Talk explores the enormous diversity in our spoken language across the UK to reveal extraordinary insights into how humans operate: how we perceive (and judge) other people and how we would like ourselves to be perceived. Joining Drummond in conversation for this episode is Intelligence Squared’s Executive Producer, Hannah Kaye. If you'd like to get access to all of our longer form interviews and members-only content, just visit intelligencesquared.com/membership to find out more. For £4.99 per month you'll also receive: - Full-length and ad-free Intelligence Squared episodes, wherever you get your podcasts - Bonus Intelligence Squared podcasts, curated feeds and members exclusive series - 15% discount on livestreams and in-person tickets for all Intelligence Squared events - Our member-only newsletter The Monthly Read, sent straight to your inbox ... Or Subscribe on Apple for £4.99: - Full-length

Nabila Ramdani is a French-Algerian writer, broadcaster and academic, whose recent book is Fixing France: How to Repair a Broken Republic. Historically, France is a country with ideals that strive for liberty, equality and fraternity but the reality in recent years is something different. Its leader President Macron has cultivated a political landscape with no clear successor ready to carry liberal or centre-ground politics forward. Instead, the next president might come from the far right and inherit a country consumed by polarised politics, institutionalised rioting, economic injustice and paramilitary policing. Can France be fixed? Joining Ramdani in conversation for this episode is Mehreen Khan, former Brussels-based EU Correspondent for the Financial Times and currently Economics Editor for The Times. This interview was recorded in late December, 2023. If you'd like to get access to all of our longer form interviews and members-only content, just visit intelligencesquared.com/membership to find out more

Born near Colchester, England in 1623, Margaret Cavendish was a writer blazing a trail for women during a time when the world was dominated by men. Her writing ranges from philosophy to poetry, plays and also includes what is now considered to be a proto-science fiction novel, The Blazing World. So why do we rarely hear her name today? Looking to put that right is journalist and now author Francesca Peacock. Her recent book, Pure Wit: The Revolutionary Life of Margaret Cavendish, aims to tell the world more about the life and history of one of the UK’s boldest writers. Joining Peacock to talk about the book is the historian, writer and podcaster, Helen Carr, who specialises in medieval history and is the author of the best-selling book, The Red Prince.  If you'd like to get access to all of our longer form interviews and members-only content, just visit intelligencesquared.com/membership to find out more. For £4.99 per month you'll also receive: - Full-length and ad-free Intelligence Squared episodes, wherev

We’re all making life choices at this time of year – perhaps a few new years' resolutions are in the mix – either way, you’ll have a stake in a tussle of big ideas as we debate the motion: Free Will is an Illusion. Our host for this episode is the writer, philosopher and podcaster Nigel Warburton, who is co-host of the popular Philosophy Bites podcast and author of books including A Little History of Philosophy, The Art Question, and Free Speech: A Very Short Introduction. Joining Warburton to debate the motion is psychologist, author and lecturer Susan Blackmore, who is Visiting Professor at the University of Plymouth, and Kevin Mitchell, Professor of Genetics and Neuroscience at Trinity College Dublin. If you'd like to get access to all of our longer form interviews and members-only content, just visit intelligencesquared.com/membership to find out more. For £4.99 per month you'll also receive: - Full-length and ad-free Intelligence Squared episodes, wherever you get your podcasts - Bonus Intelligence Squa

In the fourth and final part of our staff picks episodes the Intelligence Squared team continue their look back across 2023 to pick their favourite moments from all of the podcasts we've produced over the past 12 months. Intelligence Squared CEO Matt McAllester joins Executive Producer Hannah Kaye for this instalment to select their highlights. Matt is going for James Comey and Armando Iannucci, who appeared live onstage together at London's Union Chapel in summer 2023. Hannah selects Bach vs Beethoven: The Battle of the Great Composers, in which celebrated cellist Steven Isserlis was joined onstage at Cadogan Hall in London alongside music writer and critic Norman Lebrecht to debate two giants of classical music. If you'd like to get access to all of our longer form interviews and members-only content, just visit intelligencesquared.com/membership to find out more. For £4.99 per month you'll also receive: - Full-length and ad-free Intelligence Squared episodes, wherever you get your podcasts - Bonus Intell

In the second part of our special Christmas episode in association Tortoise, Intelligence Squared welcomes Robert Peston to the Tabernacle Theatre in London to speak with Tortoise editor and co-founder James Harding about the new book from Peston and journalist Kishan Koria, Bust?: Saving the Economy, Democracy and Our Sanity. The book not only analyses how the UK has found itself in a position of having to put up with broken politics, divisive rhetoric and a shaky economic outlook, but also looks to point the way out of this current era defined by turbulence and populism. To listen to more episodes of The News Meeting and other Tortoise news podcasts just click here. ... Intelligence Squared members can access an extended versions of all of our long-form interviews and members-only content, just visit intelligencesquared.com/membership to find out more. Already a subscriber? Subscribe to our newsletter here to hear about our latest events, discounts and much more. https://www.intelligencesquared.com/newsle

The Intelligence Squared team look back across 2023 in the third of our staff picks episodes. Senior Producer Tom Hall joins Associate Producer Layla Ishmail to select their highlights. Layla's pick is comedian and writer David Baddiel, who appeared onstage earlier in 2023 to discuss his book The God Desire along with religious scholar Ben Quash and fellow comedian, actor and broadcaster Richard Ayoade. Tom's choice is the VS podcast from Intelligence Squared, which put the TV shows Succession and the White Lotus against each other backed by the opinions of guests comedian Ania Magliano and journalist, crime podcaster and screenwriter Poppy Damon. If you'd like to get access to all of our longer form interviews and members-only content, just visit intelligencesquared.com/membership to find out more. For £4.99 per month you'll also receive: - Full-length and ad-free Intelligence Squared episodes, wherever you get your podcasts - Bonus Intelligence Squared podcasts, curated feeds and members exclusive series

The Intelligence Squared team continue their look back across 2023 to pick their favourite moments from all of the podcasts we've produced over the past 12 months. Technical Operations Manager Mark Roberts joins Senior Producer Conor Boyle to select their highlights. Mark is going for comedian Russell Kane, who appeared on Intelligence Squared's How I Found My Voice podcast. While Conor replays US politician Bernie Sanders, who appeared on the Intelligence Squared podcast in March 2023. If you'd like to get access to all of our longer form interviews and members-only content, just visit intelligencesquared.com/membership to find out more. For £4.99 per month you'll also receive: - Full-length and ad-free Intelligence Squared episodes, wherever you get your podcasts - Bonus Intelligence Squared podcasts, curated feeds and members exclusive series - 15% discount on livestreams and in-person tickets for all Intelligence Squared events - Our member-only newsletter The Monthly Read, sent straight to your inbox ..

The Intelligence Squared team look back across 2023 to pick their favourite moments from all of the podcasts we've produced over the past 12 months. First up are producers Feyi Adegbite and Bella Soames. Bella discusses how she brought together the documentary maker and adventurer Simon Reeve along with war reporter Chistina Lamb and journalist Kamal Ahmed to discuss the concept of risk. Feyi picks our deep-dive interview with acclaimed actor Jude Law, who appeared on the How I Found My Voice podcast made by Intelligence Squared. If you'd like to get access to all of our longer form interviews and members-only content, just visit intelligencesquared.com/membership to find out more. For £4.99 per month you'll also receive: - Full-length and ad-free Intelligence Squared episodes, wherever you get your podcasts - Bonus Intelligence Squared podcasts, curated feeds and members exclusive series - 15% discount on livestreams and in-person tickets for all Intelligence Squared events - Our member-only newsletter The

For the third and final instalment of Intelligence Squared's Holiday Reads selection looking back at some of the best books of the year, Conor Boyle and Feyi Adegbite revisit conversations with authors including Michael Lewis, whose book, Going Infinite: The Rise and Fall of a New Tycoon, tells the story of crypto entrepreneur Sam Bankman Fried. We also listen back to a discussion between The Sunday Times' Hadley Freeman and writer Victoria Smith, whose book, Hags: The Demonisation of Middle-Aged Women, confronts misogyny and ageism. Plus, Ravinder Bhogal, the restaurateur and writer behind Jikoni, a restaurant blending Asian, African and Middle Eastern food, discusses her book about Comfort and Joy. You can also find all of their books and a few more in Intelligence Squared’s Twelve Books of Christmas list. https://www.intelligencesquared.com/the-blog/?p=the-twelve-books-of-christmas ... If you'd like to get access to all of our longer form interviews and members-only content, just visit intelligencesquared

In this special Christmas episode in association Tortoise, Intelligence Squared welcomes the team from Tortoise Media's The News Meeting podcast to a live recording of the show at London's Tabernacle theatre, hosted by Tortoise editor and co-founder James Harding. Joining Harding and the team onstage to discuss the biggest stories of the year was ITV's political editor Robert Peston, co-author of new book Bust?: Saving the Economy, Democracy and Our Sanity. To listen to more episodes of The News Meeting and other Tortoise news podcasts just click here ... Intelligence Squared members can access an extended versions of all of our long-form interviews and members-only content, just visit intelligencesquared.com/membership to find out more. Already a subscriber? Subscribe to our newsletter here to hear about our latest events, discounts and much more. https://www.intelligencesquared.com/newsletter-signup/ To listen to more episodes of The News Meeting and other Tortoise news podcasts click here ... Intellig

As leader of the Bad Seeds, musician Nick Cave is well known for his dark take on the songwriting craft but in recent years the performer and author has also become a distinct voice reflecting on how we deal with the process of grief. Cave’s most recent book is Faith, Hope, and Carnage, a collection of writing formed from conversations between the singer and the Irish journalist and critic Seán O’Hagan. The book touches on the musician’s evolution as an artist and also some of the tragic events that have informed his recent work. Cave’s son Arthur died In 2015. In this discussion, recorded at St Martin-in-the-Fields church in London, Cave and O’Hagan explore the power of conversation as a necessary outlet for processing both creative ideas and deeply personal perspectives. ... Intelligence Squared members can access an extended version of Cave and O'Hagan's discussion, plus all of our longer form interviews and members-only content, just visit intelligencesquared.com/membership to find out more. For £4.99 p

For the second instalment of Intelligence Squared's Holiday Reads selection looking back at some of the best books of the year, Conor Boyle and Feyi Adegbite revisit conversations with authors including journalist Tania Branigan, whose book, Red Memory, tells the story of China’s cultural revolution. Plus, writer Tomiwa Owolade discusses his book, This is Not America: Why Black Lives in Britain Matter, and classicist Mary Beard along with politician and podcaster Rory Stewart talk about their respective titles, Emperor of Rome: Ruling the Ancient Roman World, and Politics on the Edge. You can also find all of their books and a few more in Intelligence Squared’s Twelve Books of Christmas list. https://www.intelligencesquared.com/the-blog/?p=the-twelve-books-of-christmas ... If you'd like to get access to all of our longer form interviews and members-only content, just visit intelligencesquared.com/membership to find out more. For £4.99 per month you'll also receive: - Full-length and ad-free Intelligence Sq

Pen Vogler is the acclaimed food historian whose recent book, Stuffed, tells the history of food in Britain and how what we eat has shaped society over the centuries. Drawing on social records, literature and cookbooks of the past, Vogler traces how staples such as bread and beer have been signposts for measuring the class system in Britain through eras of both feast and famine, while also celebrating culinary classics and answering why the British love a good cup of tea. Joining Vogler in conversation on this episode is Alice Thomson, columnist and interviewer at The Times newspaper. ... If you'd like to get access to all of our longer form interviews and members-only content, just visit intelligencesquared.com/membership to find out more. For £4.99 per month you'll also receive: - Full-length and ad-free Intelligence Squared episodes, wherever you get your podcasts - Bonus Intelligence Squared podcasts, curated feeds and members exclusive series - 15% discount on livestreams and in-person tickets for all I

Intelligence Squared's Feyi Adegbite and Conor Boyle compile a selection of stocking fillers while enjoying a look back at some of the year's best chats from the podcast for the first in our Holiday Reads episodes. Author and activist Naomi Kein discusses Doppelganger, her book that jumps down the rabbit hole of conspiracy and the disjointed political age we live in. Plus broadcaster, fearless debater and until very recently prime-time US news host, Mehdi Hasan, explains his book: How to Win Every Argument. We also revisit our sold-out event with the co-founder of DeepMind and Inflection AI, Mustafa Suleyma, whose book The Coming Wave brings his insider’s view on the artificial intelligence revolution to both readers and listeners. You can also find all of their books and a few more in Intelligence Squared’s Twelve Books of Christmas list. https://www.intelligencesquared.com/the-blog/?p=the-twelve-books-of-christmas ... If you'd like to get access to all of our longer form interviews and members-only content

Organisational psychologist Adam Grant and IT research scientist Andrew McAfee discuss how we can all learn to unlock a bit more of our own potential with Intelligence Squared's executive producer, Hannah Kaye. Grant is the author of recent book Hidden Potential: The Science of Achieving Greater Things. McAfee recently published The Geek Way, which charts the rise of what he terms geeks in running some of the most successful organisations on the planet over the past two decades.  You can get even more of Adam Grant in the new year when he returns for a rare London appearance for Intelligence Squared's live event: Achieving Greatness. This time Grant will be teaming up with FT columnist, author and economist Tim Harford at Cadogan Hall on 18 January 2024. Visit the link below to get tickets. https://www.intelligencesquared.com/events/achieving-greatness-with-adam-grant-and-tim-harford/ ... If you'd like to get access to all of our longer form interviews and members-only content, just visit intelligencesquared

Arun Kundnani is a writer on issues such as race, culture and empire. His most recent book is: What Is Antiracism? And Why It Means Anticapitalism. Kundnani teaches at New York University and his previous books include The Muslims are Coming! Islamophobia, Extremism, and the Domestic War on Terror. Joining him in conversation on the podcast is Ruchira Sharma, the writer and journalist who is also co-host of the Everything is Content podcast. ... If you'd like to get access to all of our longer form interviews and members-only content, just visit intelligencesquared.com/membership to find out more.  For £4.99 per month you'll also receive: - Full-length and ad-free Intelligence Squared episodes, wherever you get your podcasts - Bonus Intelligence Squared podcasts, curated feeds and members exclusive series - 15% discount on livestreams and in-person tickets for all Intelligence Squared events - Our member-only newsletter The Monthly Read, sent straight to your inbox ... Or Subscribe on Apple for £4.99: - Full

For this episode we’re heading back to the Poetry Pharmacy – a health-check for both mind and spirit – brought to you by poetry publisher, advocate and founder of the Forward Prizes for Poetry, William Sieghart. It’s not our first visit. Regular listeners may have enjoyed our previous two Poetry Pharmacy events, in which Sieghart and a host of acting talent explored the power of words to help us make sense of life’s everyday challenges. Sieghart is back now with The Poetry Pharmacy Forever: New Prescriptions to Soothe, Revive and Inspire, a new collection of poems compiled for a post-pandemic world. Recently he joined BBC broadcaster Sarah Montague onstage for our Intelligence Squared event at the Tabernacle in London. Also appearing were the stage and screen actors Natascha McElhone and Sheila Atim. If you'd like to get access to all of our longer form interviews and members-only content, just visit intelligencesquared.com/membership to find out more.  For £4.99 per month you'll also receive: - Full-length a

For this bonus episode of the podcast, much-loved broadcaster and documentary maker Louis Theroux joins Harriet Johnston for a wide-ranging discussion touching on subjects including his approach to filmmaking, how he’s shaped his career and his thoughts on topics such as money and fame. This selection of highlights is part of a conversation created for The Futureverse, our series in partnership with Y TREE. Y TREE combines data, technology and human experience to provide a layer of intelligence over your financial life. Find out more at https://www.y-tree.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The poet, writer and activist Benjamin Zephaniah sadly passed away this week, aged 65. In this archive discussion from 2019, journalist Samira Ahmed speaks with Zephaniah about his life's work and the journey that took him from his youth in Birmingham to becoming one of the UK's most distinct and relevant voices harnessing the power of poetry and the spoken word. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices