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Speakers

HowTheLightGetsIn gathers together global thought leaders to find new ways of understanding the world. From pioneering philosophers to comedic legends explore the London 2023 speaker line up below.

Join us in Hay-on-Wye next spring for another world-class lineup.

Explore Hay 2024

A man with long gray hair speaks at a podium, wearing a dark suit and red tie, gesturing with his right hand.

Michio Kaku

World-famous physicist

Interrogating modern physics' theory of time in The Trouble With Time Debate.

I don't know who they are.

Peter Singer

World-leading ethicist ( via Zoom)

Defending his objective theory of ethics in the Debate A Rule To Live By.

I don't know who they are.

Ruby Wax

TV Personality and campaigner

Exploring humour and mental health in her Solo Talk Searching For Sanity In A Chaotic World.

A middle-aged man with short, graying hair and a slight smile, wearing a dark jacket over a light blue shirt, set against a blurred background.

Alastair Campbell

Leading Political Commentator

A woman with long, curly hair smiles warmly, seated in front of large windows with natural light, creating a serene atmosphere.

Carol Gilligan

World-leading feminist philosopher

A smiling man with glasses and short, spiky gray hair, dressed in a dark jacket, against a light background.

David Baddiel

Legendary comedic voice

A woman with curly hair and glasses smiles softly while standing outdoors, wearing a maroon sweater against a blurred background.

Sabine Hossenfelder

YouTube science superstar

A middle-aged man in a suit and glasses, looking directly at the camera with a serious expression against a plain background.

Martin Wolf

Chief Financial Times Economist

A man in a dark jacket and white shirt smiles while walking outdoors, with a blurred background of people and cityscape.

Rory Stewart

Award winning broadcaster

A man with curly gray hair wearing a black suit and striped tie stands in front of shelves filled with colorful books.

Jonathan Sumption

Fearless lockdown critic

I don't know who they are.

Liv Boeree

Legendary poker champion

A smiling woman with short hair wearing a black blazer over a floral shirt, set against a white background.

Angela Eagle

Labour party veteran

A woman with short dark hair smiles, wearing a red dress and a rosette badge, standing in a blue-walled environment.

Thangham Debbonaire

Shadow leader of the commons

A person with short gray hair, wearing a denim jacket, stands in front of a stone wall with greenery.

Kathleen Stock

Bold and daring philosopher

A middle-aged man with a bald head and glasses, dressed in a dark suit, smiles against a neutral background.

Bill Browder

Key adversary to Putin

A woman with long brown hair wearing a white dress, large circular earrings, standing in front of a green foliage backdrop.

Doon Mackichan

Award-winning actress

A middle-aged man with glasses sits in front of a bookshelf filled with books, wearing a light checkered shirt and looking directly at the camera.

Richard Wolff

Radical voice of the left

A man with gray hair and glasses stands outdoors, wearing a blue suit jacket, against a backdrop of stone columns.

Alan Rusbridger

A middle-aged man with long, wavy hair and round glasses, wearing a brown leather jacket, stands outdoors with a serious expression.

Tim Maudlin

World-leading philosopher of physics

I don't know who they are.

Susan Neiman

Celebrated theorist and commentator

A woman with long blonde hair rests her chin on her hand, gazing thoughtfully to the side against a green background.

Myriam Francois

Journalist and Filmmaker

A bald man in a dark suit and glasses walking down a street, with a serious expression on his face.

Nadhim Zahawi

Former Head Of The Conservative Party

Portrait of a smiling woman with short, dark hair, wearing a black cardigan, against a blurred green background.

Sunetra Gupta

Key lockdown sceptic

A confident woman in a gray blazer and white shirt stands outdoors, wearing a turquoise necklace and glasses, with classical architecture in the background.

Inna Sovsun

Member of Ukraine's National Parliament

A middle-aged man with medium-length brown hair, wearing a blue suit jacket over a light blue shirt, sitting against a plain white background.

Phil Collins

Blair's speech writer

A serious-looking man in a white shirt stands with crossed arms in front of tall apartment buildings.

Aaron Bastani

Fully automated luxury communist

A smiling man with short, light-colored hair and glasses, wearing a patterned shirt, in front of an abstract artwork.

Philip Goff

Radical consciousness expert

A portrait of a middle-aged man in a suit, looking thoughtfully to the side against a dark background, with soft lighting highlighting his features.

Michael Shermer

Leading Sceptic

A middle-aged man in a plaid shirt, looking thoughtfully off-camera against a textured stone wall.

John Vervaeke

Psychologist for the meaning crisis

A person with shoulder-length blonde hair, wearing glasses, a white blouse, and a pearl necklace, stands outdoors with a neutral expression.

Sophie-Grace Chappell

Pioneering philosopher

A middle-aged man with a bald head and gray beard, wearing a black shirt, stands against a dark background, looking directly at the camera.

Matt Kelly

Founder and Editor-in-Chief of The New European

A well-dressed man with short dark hair smiles confidently outdoors, with greenery and a blurred city background behind him.

Matthew Goodwin

Fearless author and academic

A woman with curly hair smiles, wearing a black shirt and earrings, set against a plain white background.

Mary Ann Seighart

Distinguished journalist

A man with tousled hair in a suit stands outdoors against a backdrop of green trees, bathed in natural light.

Hilary Lawson

Radical post-postmodern philosopher

A serious woman in a gray blazer stands in front of a bookshelf filled with books, conveying a professional and academic atmosphere.

Priya Natarajan

Award-winning physicist

A middle-aged man with gray hair and a beard, dressed in a textured coat, stands outdoors against a backdrop of trees.

Frank Furedi

Perceptive and prophetic sociologist

I don't know who they are.

Kristen Ghodsee

Utopian feminist thinker

A middle-aged man with glasses and gray hair, wearing a suit jacket over a white shirt, looking directly at the camera against a light background.

Jolyon Maugham

Founder of the Good Law Project

A man with gray hair and a black shirt stands in front of a colorful rainbow background, symbolizing LGBTQ+ pride.

Peter Tatchell

Human Rights campaigner

A man with glasses and a suit stands outdoors surrounded by flowering plants, with a serious expression on his face.

Daniel Markovits

Radical legal scholar

A woman with long brown hair gazes thoughtfully into the distance against a soft, pastel-colored background.

Sophie Scott-Brown

Inspiring intellectual historian

I'm sorry, but I don't know who they are.

Shini Somara

Distinguished science broadcaster

A smiling middle-aged man with gray hair and a blue button-up shirt sitting in an office environment with bookshelves in the background.

Barry C. Smith

Philosopher of the senses

A man with glasses and a gray tie seated in a library with bookshelves in the background.

Simon Wessely

Leading British Psychiatrist

Elderly man with gray hair, wearing a maroon sweater over a pink shirt, smiling and standing against a dark background.

Simon Blackburn

Meta-ethics expert

I don't know who they are.

Paul Dolan

Revolutionary Behavioural Scientist

A woman with natural curly hair sits attentively at a panel discussion, microphone in front of her, wearing a black and yellow top.

Kimberly Mcintosh

Groundbreaking postcolonial thinker

I don't know who they are.

Gavin Salam

Celebrated physicist

A woman with shoulder-length brown hair smiles warmly in front of a rustic stone wall. She wears a black top and a pearl necklace.

Kathleen Higgins

Celebrated continental philosopher

A woman with curly blonde hair and blue eyes is sitting in a room with books and papers in the background.

Eleanor Knox

Philosopher of science

Anders Sandberg

Oxford Futurist

A woman with shoulder-length brown hair and a serious expression is seated, wearing a black jacket against a softly blurred background.

Joanna Kavenna

Acclaimed novelist

A woman with shoulder-length brown hair, wearing a green shirt, poses with white headphones around her neck against a plain background.

Güneş Taylor

Award winning geneticist

I don't know who they are.

Zoe Strimpel

Gender and relationships expert

A young woman with long, wavy hair sits outdoors against a backdrop of green and reddish leaves, wearing a bright pink sweater.

Maya Oppenheim

Feminist journalist and activist

A well-dressed man with short, styled hair and a beard smiles at the camera, wearing a suit and tie against a plain background.

Tom Copely

Sadiq Kahn's right hand man

Elderly man in a tweed suit with grey hair, sitting against a blurred background displaying sculptures and art, appearing contemplative.

Richard Swinburne

Distinguished philosopher of religion

A smiling man in a dark suit and red tie, with a colorful pocket square, poses against a light background.

Liam Halligan

Firebrand economist and broadcaster

A man in a suit speaking intently, with shelves of files and folders in the background.

David Gems

Professor of ageing

A smiling scientist in a lab, seated with laboratory equipment and containers in the background, wearing glasses and a black hoodie.

Kate Adamala

Pioneering Biologist

I don't know who they are.

Michael Della Rocca

Radical early modern thinker

A middle-aged man with glasses and long, graying hair stands in front of a bookshelf filled with books.

Eörs Szathmáry

Pioneer of theoretical biology

A woman with long, wavy hair wearing a blue patterned jacket stands outdoors, looking directly at the camera with a soft expression.

Chine Mcdonald

Celebrated theologian

I don't know who they are.

Avshalom Elitzur

Revolutionary Philosopher and Physicist

A young man with short black hair, wearing a light blue shirt, is seated outdoors in front of a brick wall and green foliage.

Timothy Nguyen

Google Deepmind researcher

A smiling woman with medium-length brown hair stands in front of a textured brick wall, wearing a red top.

Madeleine Pennington

Leading researcher of religion

A man with glasses and a beard, wearing a black suit jacket, stands outdoors with a blurred background of autumn leaves.

Nolen Gertz

Distinguished philosopher of nihilism

I don't know who this person is.

Jimena Canales

Groundbreaking historian of science

A woman with straight hair is taking a selfie in front of a bookshelf filled with various academic books.

Isabel Millar

Leading philosopher and psychoanalyst

A smiling man wearing a blue shirt stands in front of a reflective metallic surface.

Oliver Ready

Celebrated Translator of Dostoevsky

A smiling woman with long, brown hair wears a floral green blouse against a neutral background, exuding a warm and approachable demeanor.

Camilla Nord

Pioneering neuroscientist

A woman with short blonde hair smiles in front of a world map mural, wearing a black and white striped top.

Hilary Greaves

Trailblazing moral philosopher

A woman with short black hair wearing a dark, modern outfit speaks thoughtfully during a presentation against a neutral background.

Praveetha Patalay

Trailblazing mental health researcher

A middle-aged man with glasses smiles at the camera, wearing a dark suit jacket and light shirt, with a blurred background of a cozy, well-lit room.

Alok Sharma

Leading conservative climate commentator

A smiling man in a light blue shirt sits with his hands clasped at a table, in a bright room decorated with books and art.

Mike Berners-Lee

Leading Polycrisis Thinker

A close-up portrait of a young woman with long, dark hair and a neutral expression, set against a teal background.

Florence Read

Up-and-coming philosophy presenter

A woman with long, wavy hair sits in front of a computer displaying brain scans and research data, with plants visible in the background.

Rosalyn Moran

Hetrodox AI researcher

A smiling woman with long, wavy hair, wearing a green and white patterned top, stands confidently in a well-lit room with plants and artwork in the background.

Sophie Howe

Future Generations Commissioner

A middle-aged man with glasses and a light blue shirt seated at a desk, with bookshelves filled with various books in the background.

Michael Wooldridge

Professor of computer science at Oxford

A woman with long brown hair and glasses smiles for a selfie on a bus, showcasing a casual environment.

Gerry Mitchell

Distinguished social researcher

A middle-aged man with glasses, wearing a navy sweater, stands against a backdrop of leafy green plants.

Mike Herd

Distinguished journalist

A professional individual with short blonde hair wearing a black blazer and white shirt, standing confidently against a plain background.

Louise Ashley

Leading diversity and inclusion consultant

A smiling woman with curly hair wearing a teal top against a plain background. She has a confident expression and subtle makeup.

Yuan Yuang

Trailblazing commentator on China

A woman with short blonde hair smiles confidently while standing in front of a historic building, wearing a pink blazer and necklace.

Natalie Bennett

Former leader of the Green Party

A smiling woman with long black hair, wearing an ethnic patterned top and earrings, stands in front of a textured brick background.

Suchitra Sebastian

World-class physicist

A man with gray hair and glasses speaks passionately at a lecture, wearing a black turtleneck and gray blazer, gesturing with one finger raised.

Addy Pross

World-renowned chemist

A woman speaking at a podium with a red backdrop, promoting themes of honesty and straightforwardness in politics.

Kerry McCarthy

Trailblazing British MP

A woman with shoulder-length dark hair smiles warmly at the camera, wearing a light-colored top against a softly lit background.

Anna Minton

Leading investigative journalist

A woman with glasses and a bun hairstyle speaks thoughtfully, wearing a light purple top and a silver chain necklace, in a neutral setting.

Mary Harrington

Outspoken feminist journalist

A smiling woman with long brown hair and a green patterned scarf, standing against a lush green landscape.

Lucy Cooke

Renowned zoologist and broadcaster

A woman with blonde hair sits on a bed in a bright room with large windows, wearing a floral patterned shirt, looking at the camera.

Julia Davies

Trailblazing angel investor

A speaker presenting on stage, gesturing with one hand while holding a microphone, with a colorful abstract background behind him.

Kenneth Cukier

Leading podcaster and journalist

A man with a bald head and beard stands in a dark suit against a red background, looking thoughtfully into the distance.

Sasha Polakow-Suransky

Journalist and Author

A smiling young woman with long, wavy hair and glasses, wearing earphones, stands in front of a tree and a red brick building.

Niki Seth-Smith

Writer and journalist

A speaker with curly hair and glasses holds a microphone while seated on a panel, discussing topics with a blue backdrop and water bottles on the table.

Chrisantha Fernando

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