The Battle of Ideas 2010 was a two-day festival of high-level, thought-provoking debate organised by the Academy of Ideas and hosted by the Royal College of Art.
David Aaronovitch, columnist,
The Times; author,
Voodoo Histories; chair, Index on Censorship
Julie Bindel, journalist, author, broadcaster and feminist activist; research fellow, Lincoln University
John Cooper, leading criminal and human rights barrister; regular columnist,
The Times and
Observer; editor,
Criminal Bar Quarterly
Frank Furedi, sociologist and social commentator; author,
What's Happened to the University?,
Power of Reading: from Socrates to Twitter, On Tolerance and
Authority: a sociological history
Clare Gerada, GP; past chair, Royal College of General Practitioners
Tom Holland, award-winning historian; author,
Rubicon: the triumph and tragedy of the Roman Republic; winner, 2007 Classical Association Prize
Bettany Hughes, president, Joint Association of Classical Teachers; broadcaster; author,
The Hemlock Cup: Socrates, Athens and the search for the good life
Virginia Ironside, journalist; agony aunt,
Independent; author,
The Virginia Monologues: why it's great to be sixty
Rebecca Jenkins, cultural historian and novelist; Royal Literary Fund Fellow; former writing partner of Bishop of Durham, David Jenkins
Wendy Kaminer, US-based writer on law, liberty, feminism, religion, and popular culture; author,
Worst Instincts: cowardice, conformity and the ACLU
Irma Kurtz, writer; broadcaster; agony aunt,
Cosmopolitan Magazine; author,
About Time: growing old disgracefully
Philippe Legrain, visiting senior fellow, LSE’s European Institute; author,
Immigrants: your country needs them and
European Spring: Why Our Economies and Politics are in a Mess – and How to Put Them Right
Paul Mason, broadcaster; author,
Financial Meltdown and the End of the Age of Greed; technology editor, BBC's
Newsnight
Munira Mirza, advisor on arts and philanthropy; former deputy mayor of London for education and culture; author,
The Politics of Culture: the case for universalism
Brendan O'Neill, editor,
spiked; columnist,
Big Issue; contributor,
Spectator; author,
A Duty to Offend: Selected Essays
Tim Parks, novelist, essayist and translator; author of
Teach Us to Sit Still: a sceptic’s search for health and healing and
Dreams of Rivers and Seas; associate professor of English and translation, IULM University, Milan
Steve Rayner, James Martin Professor of Science and Civilization; director, Institute for Science, Innovation and Society, University of Oxford
Anthony Seldon, master, Wellington College; historian; political commentator; author,
Trust: how we lost it and how to get it back and
Brown at 10
George Szirtes, reader in creative writing, UEA; poet; editor; translator; author,
The Burning of the Books and Other Poems
Raymond Tallis, fellow, Academy of Medical Sciences; author, philosopher, critic and poet; recent books include
NHS SOS and
Aping Mankind; chair, Healthcare Professionals for Assisted Dying
GM Tamás, visiting professor, Central European University; author,
Les Idoles de la Tribu
Tarun J. Tejpal, founder and editor,
Tehelka; former editor,
India Today; novelist; author,
The Story of My Assassins
Mark Walport, director, Wellcome Trust; Government Chief Scientific Adviser (from April 2013)
David Willetts MP, Minister of State for Universities and Science; author,
The Pinch: how baby boomers took their children's future - and why they should give it back
David Yelland, partner, Brunswick Group LLP; former editor,
The Sun; author,
The Truth About Leo
Peter York, broadcaster, management consultant, journalist and author
"The Battle of Ideas is an inspired and inspiring event that grapples with the important issues in ways that are refreshing and imaginative."
Peter Barron, Director of communications and public affairs, North and Central Europe, Google; former editor, Newsnight
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