Speakers

HowTheLightGetsIn Hay 2024 gathers global thought leaders to answer the most pressing questions of our era.

From cannonical philosophers and political insiders, to physics visionaries and sharp cultural critics, check out the speakers so far.

Keep exploring! Check out the Big Ideas we're bringing to Hay with our Debate programme...

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David Patraeus HowTheLightGetsIn Festival

David Petraeus

Former Director of the CIA
martha fiennes HowTheLightGetsIn Hay Festival 2024
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Martha Fiennes

Award-winning filmmaker
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Slavoj Žižek

Maverick philosopher
paterson joeseph HowTheLightGetsIn Hay Festival 2024
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Paterson Joseph

Beloved actor and intellectual
Roger Penrose HowTheLIghtGetsIN Festival 2024
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Roger Penrose

Nobel prize winning physicist
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Daniel Dennett

Renowned Philosopher of Consciousness
thangam Debbonaire HowTheLightGetSIn Festival Hay 2024
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Thangam Debbonaire

Shadow Minister for Culture, Media and Sport
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Peter Singer

World renowned ethicist
Rowan williams HowTheLightGetsIn Hay Festival 2024
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Rowan Williams

Former Archbishop of Canterbury
yasmin benoit HowTheLightGetsIn Hay Festival 2024
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Yasmin Benoit

Award-winning activist
JOhn Bercow HowTheLightGetsIN Hay 2024 Festival
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John Bercow

Former speaker of the commons
john lennox

John Lennox

Internationally renowned mathematician
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Amy Chua

Outspoken legal writer and commentator
Dan Anely

Dan Ariely

Irrationality Expert
S.Y.Quraishi HowTheLightGetsIn Festival Hay 2024

S.Y.Quraishi

Former Chief Election Commissioner of India
Avshalom Elitzur HowTheLightGetsIn Hay Philosophy Festival

Avshalom Elitzur

Revolutionary space time physicist
Jessica Defino HowTheLightGetsIn Hay Festival 2024
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Jessica DeFino

Beauty culture critic
Ilan Pappe HowTheLightGetsIn Hay Festival 2024

Ilan Pappé

Outspoken critical Israeli historian
Cristina lamb

Christina Lamb

Sunday Times chief foreign correspondent
Donald Hoffman23

Donald Hoffman

Leading anti-reality theorist
Scott Aaronson HowTheLightGetsIn Festival 2024

Scott Aaronson

Top quantum complexity theorist
Chris Lintott HowTheLightGetsIn Hay Festival 2024
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Chris Lintott

Oxford astrophysicist and presenter
Jenny kleeman

Jenny Kleeman

Journalist and broadcaster
Tommy Curry HowTheLightGetsIn Hay 202
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Tommy Curry

Pioneering Philospher of Race
Priya Natarajan HTLGI Hay Festival 2024
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Priya Natarajan

Award-winning theoretical astrophysicist
stuart

Stuart Hameroff

Quantum Consciousness Theorist
armen sarkissan

Armen Sarkissien

Former president of Armenia
Denis Nobel HowThelIghtGetsIN Hay 20204 Festival
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Denis Noble

Leading Biologist
Sophie scott brown HowTheLightGetsIn Hay Festival 2024
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Sophie Scott-Brown

Inspiring intellectual historian
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Eva Illouz

Groundbreaking sociologist of emotion
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Lynne Segal

Iconic socialist feminist
bernard carr HowTheLightGetsIn Hay Festival 2024
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Bernard Carr

Mathematical physicist and cosmologist
Ali Allawi HowTheLightGetsIn Festival Hay 2024

Ali Allawi

Veteran Iraqi politician and scholar
Aaron Bastani HowTheLightGetsIn Hay Festival 2024 2

Aaron Bastani

Leftist media disruptor
Myriam Francois HowTheLightGetsIn Hay Festival 20204
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Myriam François

Filmmaker and activist
Paul Bloom

Paul Bloom

Anti-Empathy Psychologist
Catherine Rowett HowTheLightGetsIn Hay Festival 2024
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Catherine Rowett

Distinguished politician and philosopher
Guy Standing HowTheLightGetsIn Hay Festival 2024

Guy Standing

Pioneering labour economist
Hilary Lawson HowTheLightGetsIn Festival Hay 2024
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Hilary Lawson

Radical post-post modern philosopher
Oli Dugmore HowTheLightGetsIn Hay 2024

Oli Dugmore

Vocal Political Journalist
Shini Somara 169

Shini Somara

Celebrated science communicator
Tim Maudlin HowTheLightGetsIn Hay Festival 2024

Tim Maudlin

World-leading philosopher of physics
Daljit Nagra HowTheLightGetsIn Hay Festival 2024
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Daljit Nagra

Award-winning poet and broadcaster
THeodore Dalrymple HowThelIGhtGetsIN Festival Hay 2024
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Theodore Dalrymple

Acclaimed author and critic
Claudia de Rham HowThelIghtGetsIn Hay Festival 2024
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Claudia de Rham

Pioneering physicist
Judith Donath HowTheLightGetsIn Hay Festival 2024
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Judith Donath

Pioneering social media expert
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Simon Baron-Cohen

Pioneering clinical psychologist
Bronwen maddox HowTheLightGetsIn Hay Festival 2024
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Bronwen Maddox

CEO of Chatham House
ruth padel HowTheLightGetsIn Hay Festival 2024
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Ruth Padel

Poet and Novelist
Frances Ashcroft HowTheLightGetsIn Hay Festival 2024
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Frances Ashcroft

Pioneering geneticist
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Subrena E. Smith

Leading opponent of evolutionary psychology
jack symes chosen

Jack Symes

Trailblazing emerging philosopher
gunes taylor

Güneş Taylor

Award-winning geneticist
Nancy sherman HowTheLightGetsIn Hay Festival 2024
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Nancy Sherman

Professor of Philosophy
John Ralston Saul HowTheLightGetsIn Hay Festival 2024 2
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John Ralston Saul

World-renowned writer and anti-globalism activist
Shannon Vallor HowTheLightGetsIn Hay 2024 2

Shannon Vallor

Prophetic AI ethicist
Rana Mitter HowTheLightGetsIn Haty 2024
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Rana Mitter

Historian and political scientist
Aline Laurent Mayard HowTheLightGetsIn Hay Festival 2024
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Aline Laurent-Maynard

Acclaimed author, journalist and podcast host
robin van den akker HowTheLightGetsIn Hay Festival 2024
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Robin van den Akker

Leading Metamodernist Scholar
Isabel Hilton HowTheLightGetsIn Hay Festival 2024

Isabel Hilton

Leading China expert
Mary Ann Seigheart HowTheLightGetsIn Hay Festival 2024

Mary Ann Sieghart

Stalwart public intellectual
Steve Taylor2

Steve Taylor

Psyhchologist and spirituality expert
Des Fitzgerald HowTheLightGetsIn Festival Hay 2024

Des Fitzgerald

New Generation sociologist
Joanna Kavenna HowtheLightGetsIn Hay Festival 2024

Joanna Kavenna

Acclaimed novelist
joao magueijo HowTheLightGetsIn Hay Festival 2024
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João Magueijo

Radical physicist
john joe mcfadden HowTheLightGetsIn Hay Festival 2024
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Johnjoe McFadden

Acedemic and author
Ben Ware HowTheLightGetsIn Hay Festival 2024
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Ben Ware

Leading Wittegensteinian and philosopher of extinction.
Professor Sir Simon Wessely HowTheLightGetsIn Hay Festival 2024
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Sir Simon Wessely

Renowned psychiatrist and epidemiologist
Roger hearing HowTheLightGetsIn Hay Festival 2024

Roger Hearing

BBC business presenter
frank tallis

Frank Tallis

Psychotherapist and award-winning author
CLaire provost HowTHelGIhtGetsIn Festival Hay 2024
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Claire Provost

Discerning investigative journalist
Harry Cliff HowTheLightGetsIn Hay Festival 2024

Harry Cliff

Celebrated Physicist and Science Communicator
Winston Marshall HowTheLightGetsIn Festival Hay 2024

Winston Marshall

Musician turned renegade
David Livingstone HowTheLightGetsIn Hay 2024

David Livingstone

Philosopher of Dehumanisation

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