2022 Festival
Saturday 11 June 2022 7pm
In this four-part podcast, Supriya Nagarajan celebrates the hidden women of Ramayana, weaving together storytelling and music, and inviting you to read between the lines of a world-famous epic.
Monday 13 June 2022 1pm
Delve into York’s medieval past with archaeologist Barry Crump, who explains why knowing how York’s city walls were really used and what they meant is vital for our understanding of the medieval city.
Susanne Wedlich leads us on a scientific journey through the 3-billion-year history of slime, from its part in the evolution of life on Earth to how it might feature in the post-human future.
Monday 13 June 2022 6pm
Deepen your understanding of our canine friends with zoology correspondent Jules Howard.
Learn about ABBA’s 2022 hologram concert tour and discover how digitisation may change our ideas of life, death and after-life.
Monday 13 June 2022 7pm
Join Professor Helen Smith of the University of York for a fun and fast-paced tour of chapters past, present and future.
Monday 13 June 2022 8pm
Mathematician Scott Carson of the University of York introduces you to ancient and medieval arithmetical puzzles.
Philosopher Elizabeth Cripps reveals why climate justice goes beyond political polarisation and why climate activism is a moral duty, not a political choice.
Jon Hook and Simona Manni of the University of York discuss how they are creating a video-based, personalised decision aid for young women who have been diagnosed with cancer and need to make choices about preserving their future fertility.
Tuesday 14 June 2022 1pm
Join neuroscientist Aristea Ladas for fascinating insights into the mystery of sleep and dreaming.
Join Leo McCann of the University of York for an in-depth investigation of the paramedic profession in England.
Tuesday 14 June 2022 6pm
Join Emma Smith from the University of Oxford to discover when, why and how the book acquired its particular hold over us.
Anna Perrett from the Kyra Women’s Project and confidence coach Jules Wyman discuss how ‘Route to Recovery’ can give women the support they want and need to recover from abusive relationships.
Drawing on decades of observing other primates, world renowned primatologist Frans de Waal analyses our shared evolutionary history with the apes, broadening the conversation about human gender dynamics.
Tuesday 14 June 2022 7pm
Join the (fictional) board of an exciting new (fictional) tech company whose future will be shaped by your decisions in this live event utilising interactive features of technology.
Tuesday 14 June 2022 8pm
Join world-leading criminologist Matthew Williams as he explores the tipping point between prejudice and hate crime, analysing human behaviour across the globe and throughout history.
Join ecology professor Lars Chittka and discover how intelligent and sophisticated bees are as individuals.
Wednesday 15 June 2022 12pm
Experts in education - including Charlie Jeffery, Vice-Chancellor and President of the University of York - come together to discuss the abundant possibilities for ‘higher’ learning.
Wednesday 15 June 2022 1pm
Celebrate the inspirational stories of 100 remarkable women of colour with Pakistani-American artist and illustrator Maliha Abidi.
Discover the history and mythic origins of Thebes with acclaimed historian Paul Cartledge, and learn how the city is central to understanding not only the ancient Greeks but our own civilization.
Wednesday 15 June 2022 6pm
Meet inspiring University of York PhD students and learn how their cutting-edge research is expanding knowledge and understanding of our world and beyond.
Cultural historian Hannah Rose Woods provides us with a timely and enlightening interrogation of national character, emotion, identity and myth-making in a country that keeps longing for ‘the good old days’.
Wednesday 15 June 2022 8pm
Join tattoo artist researcher and historian Allison Hawn to learn about tattoo artistry’s colourful past and discover its bold future.
Thursday 16 June 2022 1pm
Join cultural historian, museum researcher and storyteller Angela Stienne as she explores curious, unsettling and controversial cases of mummies - an investigation that questions the essence of what makes us human.
Dog behaviourist, trainer and TV presenter Louise Glazebrook provides you with the skills and confidence to interpret your dog’s needs and behaviour and build a better, happier relationship for life.
Thursday 16 June 2022 5.30pm Berrick Saul Building, Campus West, University of York
Join historian Steve Hindle as he explores the case of the village stonemason.
Thursday 16 June 2022 6pm
Economist Diane Coyle and journalist Rory Cellan-Jones discuss their approaches to the impact of the digital economy.
Join ancient history expert Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones as he unveils the authentic, definitive new history of the Persian Empire, the world’s first superpower.
Thursday 16 June 2022 6.30pm
Join writer, researcher and producer Maria Leonard for an immersive workshop on possible futures that will challenge, question and develop your notion of what makes a future.
Thursday 16 June 2022 8pm
Chemist and author Kathryn Harkup turns her discerning scientific eye to the Bard and the varied and creative ways his characters die.
Join us for a fascinating discussion on the craft of writing fiction and to receive exclusive insights into Leïla’s most recent novelistic project.
Friday 17 June 2022 1pm
Philosophers from the University of York discuss less understood but highly important aspects of the experience of grief.
Friday 17 June 2022 6pm
Join our panel for a lively online discussion and learn more about the people, communities and supply chains all working to explore the full potential of chocolate.
Join us as we explore the power and visibility of youth activism, how those with global or national responsibilities can engage with young people, and what the future of citizen engagement might look like.
Friday 17 June 2022 7pm
Friday 17 June 2022 8pm
Award-winning author Helen Benedict and Syrian writer and refugee Eyad Awwadawnan provide us with a rare insight into the lives of refugees as they share powerful stories of resilience, suffering and hope.
Paul Gambino, collector of the macabre, unravels the often gruesome history of skulls, how they are acquired by collectors and what makes them so highly prized.
Saturday 18 June 2022 10am Ron Cooke Hub, Campus East, University of York
Learn about the problems of the food system and get some inspiration for how we can transform it into one that benefits both population and planet.
Saturday 18 June 2022 4.15pm Ron Cooke Hub, Campus East, University of York
Internationally renowned historian and Booker Prize finalist Michael Ignatieff shows how people facing tragedies and crises have looked to each other across time to recover hope and resilience.
Sunday 19 June 2022 11am Ron Cooke Hub, Campus East, University of York
Our panel of experts discuss the causes, consequences and implications of the invasion and war in Ukraine.
Sunday 19 June 2022 1.15pm Ron Cooke Hub, Campus East, University of York
Join our speakers from across the world as we explore the European Union’s role in global defence and security.
Sunday 19 June 2022 3.30pm Ron Cooke Hub, Campus East, University of York
In this panel discussion, we examine the multiple social, economic, cultural and political causes for the rise in popularity of the radical right across Europe.
Sunday 19 June 2022 5.30pm Ron Cooke Hub, Campus East, University of York
Robin Dunbar from the University of Oxford provides a fascinating and far-reaching analysis of religion and the quintessentially human impulse to believe.
Sunday 19 June 2022 7pm
Sunday 19 June 2022 7.30pm Ron Cooke Hub, Campus East, University of York
Join journalist Hayley Campbell, in conversation with comedian and writer Clint Edwards, to find out what life is like for people who make a living by working with the dead.
Monday 20 June 2022 1pm
Join a panel of remarkable women discussing the Untold: Write Afghanistan project that provides a platform for extraordinary voices telling their original, vital and unexpected stories.
Award-winning public-health expert Timothy Caulfield tackles our daily stress-inducing dilemmas and reveals a science-informed way out, helping to put your mind at ease.
Monday 20 June 2022 6pm
Join renowned neuroscientists Uta and Chris Frith as they explore the wonders and mysteries of the human brain with their son, Alex, and illustrator Daniel Locke.
Medievalist Eleanor Parker offers a fresh take on the Norman Conquest by exploring the lives of those children who found themselves uprooted by the dramatic events of 1066.
Monday 20 June 2022 7pm
Join us as we talk to ‘manonabeach®’, Ian Brighouse, about his fascinating project that celebrates the elemental power of the beach, where the air, land and sea meet.
Monday 20 June 2022 8pm
Join innovative thinkers Jessica Pierce and Marc Bekoff as they imagine a post-human future for dogs and challenge the notion that dogs would be helpless without their human counterparts.
Archaeological detectives Pierre Tallet and Mark Lehner discuss the extraordinary discovery of the world’s oldest surviving written documents, which provide new insights into the construction of the Great Pyramid at Giza.
Tuesday 21 June 2022 1pm
Digital marketing expert Elina Ketikidi explains how social media can be used to educate consumers about the importance of sustainable fashion and sustainable living more generally.
Join archaeologist Martin Carver to learn about the amazing discovery and reconstruction of a seventh-century ship that will soon travel down the rivers of England to explore life at the time.
Tuesday 21 June 2022 6pm
Writer and philosopher Nina Power discusses how men and women can live together in a world where capitalism and consumerism have replaced more traditional values.
Explore the magical roots of the language you’re reading right now with writer and blogger Hana Videen, who takes you on a journey through Old English words and customs.
Tuesday 21 June 2022 8pm
Explore the history of humans and their germs with Kyle Harper, who weaves together a grand narrative of global history with insights from cutting-edge genetics.
Join leading film and TV writer Graham McCann to learn more about the life and career of one of Britain’s best loved entertainers, York-born comedy legend Frankie Howerd.
Wednesday 22 June 2022 1pm
Join us as we discuss whether war can really be cleansed of sexual violence and, if so, what kinds of interventions are necessary, and which actors are best placed to implement them.
Join writer, critic and scholar Anna Della Subin to learn about man-gods and the persistent impulse towards deification.
Wednesday 22 June 2022 4pm Clements Hall, Nunthorpe Road
Discover the hidden stories of the Rowntree family, their famous chocolate company and their work of social reform.
Wednesday 22 June 2022 6pm
Discover the fundamental relationship between storytelling and the environment with Harvard Professor Martin Puchner.
Journalist Jessica Nordell shows us the steps we can take to create a world beyond bias.
Wednesday 22 June 2022 8pm
Renowned economic historian Claudia Goldin traces women’s journey to close the gender wage gap and sheds new light on the continued struggle to achieve equity between couples at home.
Thursday 23 June 2022 1pm
Join Clare Jackson from the University of York and the Study Team to find out how decisions get made during childbirth and why the detail of talk during birth matters.
Climate campaigner Alice Bell tells the stories of the scientists who helped build our modern understanding of climate change, and delivers a hopeful message for the future.
Thursday 23 June 2022 6pm
Experts from the University of York’s Centre for Eighteenth Century Studies discuss the recently discovered diary of Jane Ewbank, who recorded her busy life in York.
Food writers Felicity Cloake and Samuel Goldsmith reveal what it’s like to write and test recipes for a living, share insights on how to develop a good recipe, and discuss what the future of food writing might look like.
Thursday 23 June 2022 8pm
Acclaimed sociologist Andrew Scull offers a definitive new account of psychiatry’s and society’s battle with mental illness.
Acclaimed physicist Jim Al-Khalili reveals how eight lessons from the heart of science can help you get the most out of life.