Speakers

The first glimpse of our speaker lineup already boasts former national leaders, pioneering physicists, Nobel Laureates and the world's most renowned public thinkers - and there's much, much more to come!

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Slavoj Zizek HowTheLightGetsIn Hay 2025

Slavoj Žižek

Maverick philosopher
Steven Pinker 4 HowTheLightGetsIn Hay Philosophy Festival copy

Steven Pinker

Harvard Psychologist
Lionel Shriver HowTheLightGetsIn Hay Philosophy Festival
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Lionel Shriver

Author of 'We Need to Talk About Kevin'
Jeremy Corbyn HowTheLightGetsIn Hay Festival 2025
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Jeremy Corbyn

Former leader of the Labour Party
claudia de rham HowTheLightGetsIn Hay 2025

Claudia de Rham

Celebrated theoretical physicist
Roger Penrose 2 HowTheLightGetsIn Hay 2025

Roger Penrose

Nobel Laureate
Jordan Stephens HowTheLightGetsIn

Jordan Stephens

Artist and mental health advocate
Richard Tice HowTheLightGetsIn Hay 2025
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Richard Tice

Deputy leader of Reform
Nicola Sturgeon 3 HowTheLightGetsIn copy 2

Nicola Sturgeon

Former first minister of Scotland
Yanis Varoufakis HowTheLightGetsIn Hay Festival 2025
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Yanis Varoufakis

Former Greek Finance Minister
Robert Sapolsky HowTheLightGetsIn Hay Festival 2025
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Robert Sapolsky

Neuroscientist and author
inaya folarin iman 2 HowTheLightGetsIn Hay Philosophy Festival

Inaya Folarin Iman

Prominent Political Analyst
Carlo Rovelli HowTheLightGetsIn Hay 2025

Carlo Rovelli

Pioneering physicist
Myriam Francious HowTheLightGetsIn copy

Myriam François

Award winning presenter
Gad Saad HowTheLightGetsIn Hay Philosophy Festival
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Gad Saad

Professor and Mind Parasitologist
Malcome Rifkind HowTheLightGetsIn Hay Philosophy Festival
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Malcolm Rifkind

Former Secretary of State for Defence
Catherine Liu HowTheLightGetsIn Hay Festival 2025
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Catherine Liu

Cultural Critic
Paul Bloom HowTheLightGetsIn Hay Philosophy Festival

Paul Bloom

Leading psychologist of Human Nature
Jesse Norman 2 HowTheLightGetsIn Hay 2025

Jesse Norman

Shadow Leader of the House
Michelle Terry HowTheLightGetsIn Hay Philosophy Festival

Michelle Terry

Olivier Award Recipient
Clive Myrie HowTheLightGetsIn Hay Philosophy Festival

Clive Myrie

Leading Journalist and News Presenter
Aaron Mate HowTheLightGetsIn Hay Philosophy Festival

Aaron Maté

Independent journalist
Roman Yampolsky HowTheLightGetsIn Hay Philosophy Festival
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Roman Yampolskiy

Prominent AI safety researcher
Alenka Zupanic HowTheLightGetsIn Hay Philosophy Festival

Alenka Zupančič

Eminent philosopher and psychoanalyst
Elizabeth anderson HowTheLightGetsIn Hay Philosophy Festival

Elizabeth Anderson

Philosopher of Equality
jo dunkley HowTheLightGetsIn Hay Philosophy Festival
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Joanna Dunkley

Princeton Astrophysicist of the Early Universe
David goodhart HowTheLightGetsIn Hay Philosophy Festival

David Goodhart

Boundary-pushing journalist
Daniel Markovits HowTheLightGetsIn Hay Philosophy Festival

Daniel Markovits

Chief critic of Meritocracy
Chatherine Mayer HowTheLightGetsIn Hay Philosophy Festival

Catherine Mayer

Journalist and Activist
Thangam Debbonaire 2 HowTheLightGetsIn Festival Hay 2025

Thangam Debbonaire

Political strategist
Tim Maudlin HowTheLightGetsIn Hay Philosophy Festival
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Tim Maudlin

Philosopher of Physics
Claudia Canavan HowTheLightGetsIn Hay 2025
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Claudia Canavan

Health Editor and Journalist
Sophie scott brown HowTheLightGetsIn Hay Festival 2025

Sophie Scott-Brown

Intellectual Historian
Avshalom Elitzur 2 HowTheLightGetsIn Hay Philosophy Festival

Avshalom Elitzur

Radical physicist and philosopher
Shini Somara HowTheLightGetsIn Hay 2025

Shini Somara

Leading science communicator
Nadine Dijkstra HowTheLightGetsIn Hay Festival 2025
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Nadine Dijkstra

Senior Researcher in Human Neuroimaging
Eric Kaufmann HowTheLightGetsIn Hay Festival 2025
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Eric Kaufmann

Political commentator on race
Massimo Piglucci HowTheLightGetsIn Hay Festival 2025
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Massimo Pigliucci

Celebrated Stoic Philosopher
Rachel Thompson HowTheLightGetsIn Hay Festival 2025
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Rachel Thompson

Author and Relationship Expert
Isabel Hilton HowTheLightGetsIn Hay Festival 2025
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Isabel Hilton

Broadcaster and China expert
John Burn Murdoch HowTheLightGetsIn Hay Philosophy Festival

John Burn Murdoch

Renowned data journalist
Gunes Taylor HowTheLightGetsIn Hay Festival 2025
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Güneş Taylor

Award-winning geneticist
Joanna Kavenna HowTheLightGetsIn Hay 25
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Joanna Kavenna

Acclaimed novelist
Yaron Brook HowTheLightGetsIn Hay Philosophy Festival

Yaron Brook

Radical for Capitalism
Janne Teller HowTheLightGetsIn Hay Festival 2025
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Janne Teller

Critically acclaimed novelist

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