Speakers

HowTheLightGetsIn London 2024 welcomes philosophical revolutionaries, scientific trailblazers, political rebels and creative icons to navigate our era of uncertainty this September. From party leaders and Putin adversaries to Nobel Laureates and Turing Award winners explore the leading minds set to join us so far!

Check out the full lineup of speakers or keep exploring the Big Ideas coming to Hampstead Heath with our full programme...

Explore the programme

Sam Harris HoThelightGetsIn
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Sam Harris (via Zoom)

Neuroscientist and philosopher
Philippa Gregory HowTheLightGetsIn London 2024 Festival FINAL

Philippa Gregory

Bestselling Author
Slavoj Zizek HowTheLightGetsIn London 2024

Slavoj Žižek

Maverick Philosopher
Carla Denyer HowTheLightgetsIn London 2024

Carla Denyer

Co-leader of the Green Party
Roger Penrose HowTheLightGetsIn Hay 2024

Roger Penrose

Nobel prize-winning physicist
Sadiq Khan HowtheLightGetsin London 2024
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Sadiq Khan

Mayor of London
Yoshua Benjio HowTheLightGetsIn London 2024

Yoshua Bengio

Deep Learning Pioneer
Kathrine Birbalsingh HowTheLightGetsIn London 2024

Katharine Birbalsingh

Britain's Strictest Headmistress
Will hutton howTheLightGetsIn London 2024
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Will Hutton

Labour thought-leader
Myriam Francious HowTheLightGetsIn
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Myriam François

Activist and Documentary maker
Besselrec scaled
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Bessel van der Kolk

Boundary-pushing psychologist
Nadhim Zahawi HowTheLightGetsIn London 2024

Nadhim Zahawi

Former chair of the Conservative Party
JOhn Bercow HowTheLightGetsIN Hay 2024 Festival

John Bercow

Former speaker of the house of commons
Ruby Wax Speaker

Ruby Wax

TV personality and campaigner
Rupert shelfrake HowTheLightGetsIn London
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Rupert Sheldrake

Radical scientist
Konstantin Kisin HowThelIghtGetsIn London 2024

Konstantin Kisin

Cultural Commentator
John Loannidis.gfw
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John Ioannidis

Stanford medic
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Sabine Hossenfelder

Youtube Science Star
Shini Somara 169
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Shini Somara

Award-winning broadcaster
Bill Browder HowTheLightGesIn London 2024

Bill Browder

Putin adversary
Gary stEVENSON HowTheLightGetsIn London 2024 Festival 2

Gary Stevenson

Top trader turned activist
Anders Sandberg HowTheLightGetsIn London 2024
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Anders Sandberg

Radical Futurist
sam mcalister Howthelightgetsin hay 2024

Sam McAlister

BBC producer and 'Scoop' author
Daniel Susskind HowTheLightGetsIn London 2024
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Daniel Susskind

Leading big-picture economist
Mary Ann Seigheart HowTheLightGetsIn Hay Festival 2024
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Mary Ann Sieghart

Stalwart public intellectual
Aaron Bastani HowTheLightGetsIn Hay Festival 2024 2
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Aaron Bastani

Journalist and founder of Novara Media
Marcus du satory
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Marcus Du Sautoy

Mathematician and best-selling author
David Aaronovitch HowTheLightGetsIn London 2024

David Aaronovitch

Award-winning journalist
Tariq Ali HowTheLightGetsIn Hay 2024

Tariq Ali

Leading political activist
Faiza Shaheen HowTheLightGetsIn London 2024
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Faiza Shaheen

Economist and activist
Hilary Lawson HowTheLightGetsIn Festival Hay 2024

Hilary Lawson

Post-postmodern philosopher
Malcom Rifkind HowTheLightGetsIn London 2024

Malcolm Rifkind

Former Foreign Secretary
Lisa Cameron

Lisa Cameron

Former MP
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Trevor Phillips

Outspoken political commentator
SImon Jenkins HowTheLightGetsIn London 2024
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Simon Jenkins

Former editor of the Times
SUnetra Gupta min
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Sunetra Gupta

Oxford epidemiologist
Sandra Laugier HowThelIghtGetsin Hay 2024
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Sandra Laugier

Anayltic philosophy critic
Susie Orbach HowTheLightGetsIn London 2024

Susie Orbach

Eminent psychotherapist
Guy Standing HowTheLightGetsIn Hay Festival 2024
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Guy Standing

Pioneering economist
Markus Gabriele
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Markus Gabriel

Founder of 'New Realism'
Megha Rajagopalan HowTheLightGetsIn Hay Festival 2024
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Megha Rajagopalan

Pulizer Prize Winning Reporter
Lindsey Hilsum HowTheLightGetsIn London 2024
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Lindsey Hilsum

Channel 4 Foreign Editor
Peter Godfrey Smith
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Peter Godfrey-Smith

Philosopher and author of 'Other Minds'
Frank Tallis HowTheLightGetsIn London 2024 Festival
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Frank Tallis

Psychotherapist and award-winning author
Uriel Abulof HowTheLightGetsIn London 2024
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Uriel Abulof

Scholar of the politics of emotion
Clare Chambers OPTION 2.gfw
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Clare Chambers

Best-selling feminist philosopher
Socrates Mokkas HowTheLightGetsIn London 2024
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Socrates Mokkas

Leading economist
Freya India HowTheLightGetsIn Hay 2024

Freya India

Up and coming journalist
Curt Jaimungal HowTheLightGetsIn London 2024
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Curt Jaimungal

Founder and host of Theories of Everything YouTube channel
Jack Symes HowTheLightGetsIn London 2024
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Jack Symes

BBC New Generation Thinker
avi loeb HTLGI L24

Avi Loeb

Prominent astrophysicist
Jessica Fraizer HowTheLightGetsIn London 2024

Jessica Frazier

Intellectual historian
Nick Lane HowTheLightGetsIn London 2024
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Nick Lane

Outstanding Biochemist
Jess Wade HowTheLightGetsIn London 2024
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Jessica Wade

Physicist and diversity campaigner
Richard Kibble HowTheLightGetsIn London 2024
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Richard Kibble

Deloitte Partner
Matt Kennard howthelightgetsin london 2024

Matt Kennard

Celebrated investigative journalist
Dinesh Bhugra president e 008
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Dinesh Bughra

Former president of Royal College of Psychiatrists
Rose Cartwright HowTheLightGetsIn London 2024

Rose Cartwright

Mental health advocate
matt odowd2 copy
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Matt O'Dowd

Youtuber and astrophysicist
Marie elsa bragg2 copy
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Marie-Elsa Roche Bragg

Writer and therapist
Sarah Hill HowTheLightGetsIn London 2024

Sarah Hill

Renowned psychologist
Roger hearing HowTheLightGetsIn Hay Festival 2024
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Roger Hearing

BBC Bussiness Presenter
Julia Hobsbawm HowTheLightGetsIn London 2024

Julia Hobsbawm

Award-winning writer
Chine Macdonald HowTheLightGetsIn London 2024
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Chine McDonald

Director at Theos
Graham PRiest HowTheLightGetsIn London 2024
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Graham Priest

Leading logician
Marika Taylor HowTheLightGetsIn Hay 2024

Marika Taylor

Leading string theorist
David Shariatmadari HowTheLightGetsIn London 2024
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David Shariatmadari

Guardian Non-fiction editor
Gunes taylor HowTheLightGetsIn Hay Festival 2024
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Güneş Taylor

Award-winning geneticist
Ankhi Mukherjee.gfw
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Ankhi Mukherjee

Postcolonial theorist
Joanna Kavenna HowTheLightGetsIn London 2024
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Jo Kavenna

Acclaimed novelist
Barry Smith Hay 23
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Barry C. Smith

Director of the Institute of Philosophy
Bjorn Ekeberg HowTheLightGetsIn Hay Festival 2024
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Bjørn Ekeberg

Philosopher of science
Sophie scott brown HowTheLightGetsIn Hay Festival 2024
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Sophie Scott-Brown

Anarchist philsopher
Camilla Vegara HowTheLightGetsIn London 2024
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Camila Vegara

Political scientist
Duncan Potts HowTheLightGetsIn London 2024
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Duncan Potts

Babette Babich HowTheLightGetsIn London 2024
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Babette Babich

Nietzsche expert
Timothy Morton HowTheLightGetsIn London 2024
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Timothy Morton

Prophet of the Anthropocene
Nick Spencer HowTheLightGetsIn London 2024
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Nick Spencer

Scholar of religion and science
Finn Mackay copy
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Finn Mackay

Feminist campaigner
abby innes
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Abby Innes

Boundary-pushing economist
Paul Ernest HowTheLightGetsIn London 2024
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Paul Ernest

Mathematician and social constructivist
Joanna Wolfarth HowTheLightGetsIn London 2024
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Joanna Wolfarth

Author of 'Milk'
Samir Oshaka HowTheLightGetsIn London 2024
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Samir Okasha

Pioneering philosopher of science
Sarah Wilson HowTheLightGetsIN
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Sarah Wilson

Presenter and social philosopher
Martin Lopez Corredoira HowTheLightGetsIn London 2024
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Martín López Corredoira

Radical philosopher of physics
Isabel Hilton HowTheLightGetsIn Hay Festival 2024
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Isabel Hilton

China expert
Marijam Didzgalvyte HowTheLightGetsIn London 2024
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Marijam Didzgalvyte

Video game critic
Nolen Gertz HowTheLightGetsIn London 2024 Festival
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Nolen Gertz

Philosopher of Nihilism and Technology
NikiProfilePic
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Niki Seth-Smith

Editor of the New Humanist
Daniela Gabor HowTheLightGetsIn London 2024
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Daniela Gabor

Economic critic
Sarah Howe HowThelIghtGetsin Hay 2024
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Sarah Howe

Poet and author of 'Loop of Jade'
Johanna Thomas Corr HowTheLightGetsIn London 2024
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Johanna Thomas-Corr

Influential literary critic
Guy Shrubsole
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Guy Shrubsole

Sunday Times best-selling author
Carol Cleland HowTheLightGetsIn London 2024
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Carol Cleland

Philosopher of science and life
Helena Kelly HowTheLightGetsIn London 2024
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Helena Kelly

Jane Austen expert
James Tartaglia HowTheLightGetsIn London 2024
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James Tartaglia

Existential nihilist
Claudia Canavan HowTheLightGetsIn London 2024
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Claudia Canavan

Wellness Director UK Women's Health
Mary Harrington HowTheLightGetsIn London 2024
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Mary Harrington

Wrtier at Unherd
Craig Gent HowTheLightGetsIn London 2024
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Craig Gent

Director at Novara Media
Alison Flood HowThelIghtGetsin Hay 2024
Alison Flood HowThelIghtGetsin Hay 2024

Alison Flood

New Scientist's culture editor
Janne Teller HowTheLightGetsIn London

Janne Teller

Former conflict advisor for EU
Jonathan Webber HowTheLightGetsIn London 2024
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Jonathan Webber

President of UK Sartre Society
jacob Stegenga
jacob Stegenga

Jacob Stegenga

Cambridge historian
Juliet Mabey HowThelIghtGetsin Hay 2024
Juliet Mabey HowThelIghtGetsin Hay 2024

Juliet Mabey

Director of Oneworld Publications