Battle of Ideas 2013
19 & 20 October |
London
Two days of high-level, thought-provoking, public debate organised by the Academy of Ideas at the Barbican.
80 sessions, 350 speakers, 2000+ attendees
News

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Battle of Ideas at Foyles Charing Cross

Student and pupil ticket deals

Read why the Battle of Ideas 2013 essay

Battle of Ideas 2013 at The Barbican

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Speakers include
Jonathan Fenby, China director and managing partner, Trusted Sources; author, Tiger Head, Snake Tails: China Today

Danny Dorling, The Halford Mackinder Professor of Geography, University of Oxford

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

Piers Hellawell, composer; professor of composition, Queen's University Belfast

Rebecca Jenkins, cultural historian and novelist; Royal Literary Fund Fellow; former writing partner of Bishop of Durham, David Jenkins

Brendan O'Neill, editor, spiked; columnist, Big Issue; contributor, Spectator; author, A Duty to Offend: Selected Essays

David Aaronovitch, columnist, The Times; author, Voodoo Histories; chair, Index on Censorship

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

Stella Duffy, writer and theatre-maker; award-winning author of short stories, plays and novels

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Readings

Sun, sea and working-class hedonism, Neil Davenport

Democracy Has Bad Taste, Grayson Perry

For the Public Benefit: Why Everyone Should Back the Royal Charter on Press Self-Regulation, Brian Cathcart

Chinese Whispers: Why Everything You've Heard About China is Wrong, Ben Chu

As Obama's Asia 'pivot' falters, China steps into the gap, Stuart Grudgings

Dazed and Confucius: Nine common myths about China, Ben Chu

Naturalising Newham - radical plan to boost integration, Catrin Nye

Neuro-backlash? What backlash?, Sally Satel and Scott O. Lilienfeld

Post World's End Architecture: Portugal, Gonzalo Herrero Delicado and Vera Sacchetti

War on Terror or a Search for Meaning?, Dr. Bill Durodié

Architects who improvise and innovate, Edwin Heathcote

Rebels without a cause, Economist Intelligence Unit

Domestic violence is falling. Why aren't people celebrating?, James Heartfield

Why China will not buy the world, Martin Wolf

Threats to peace are lurking in the East China Sea, Kurt Campbell

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The Battle of Ideas is produced by the
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“To contribute to Battle of Ideas is to add a few words to a giant, communal speech-bubble out of the gap-toothed mouth of British opinion. It is a strong reminder that the joys of free, uncalculated speech and the right to attack orthodoxies can in no way be assumed in 2012 – that we use them or lose them.”
Piers Hellawell, composer; professor of composition, Queen’s University Belfast

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