Talks

Award-winning writer and historian Jill Liddington discusses Anne Lister’s 1836-38 diaries, focusing on Anne’s relationship with wealthy local heiress Ann Walker.

This intriguing talk examines the circulation of Modern Greek literature in Germany and how specific publishers enact German-Greek cultural relations.

From Dracula to Twilight, explore the history of vampires in literature with award-winning broadcaster, writer, art educator and cultural historian Christopher Frayling.

From ancient Egypt and Nubia to the Zulu Kingdom almost two thousand years later, learn about Africa’s rich political and social history.

Art historian and curator Susan Owens takes a look at England’s invented histories, from the glamorous to the disturbing, from the eighth century to the present day.

Renowned astrophysicist Joseph Silk discusses his inspiring vision of our return to the Moon and the importance of prioritising science in lunar exploration.

Discover the hidden world of watchmaking with award-winning designer, watchmaker and historian Rebecca Struthers, who will reveal the ways in which timekeeping has shaped our attitudes to work, leisure, politics, and more.

From chopines to stilettos and Louis XIV to Louboutin, Senior Shoe Curator Rebecca Shawcross takes you on a fascinating journey exploring the history of shoes, from antiquity to the present.

This illustrated talk by Alan Turnbull, author of Who Shot Van Gogh?, follows the extraordinary story of his Sunflower paintings - from the artist’s easel to a London auction house a hundred years later.

(Re)discover York’s medieval city walls with archaeologist Barry Crump, who will make you see our city’s iconic landmark in a new light.

Egyptologist Jo Fletcher introduces you to some of North Yorkshire’s wonderful Egyptian treasures.

Curator and music expert Claire McGinn will explore whether it might be possible to play ‘expressively’ with mechanical instruments, which haven’t always been taken seriously in the history of performance.

Archaeological chemist Stephen Buckley reveals the unexpected tales preserved on ancient Greeks’ teeth, showing how their chemical ‘fingerprints’ provide the earliest evidence for the use of coal in the western world.

Join BBC presenter and Team GB triathlete Louise Minchin for a celebration of adventurous, brave, courageous women who are doing extraordinary things through sport, exercise and a love of the great outdoors.

Join historian Gillian Waters for an exploration of a love triangle that may have been the inspiration for the medieval Arthur, Guinevere and Lancelot stories.

Medievalist Eleanor Parker of the University of Oxford explores the fascinating history of Anglo-Saxon festivals, customs and traditions linked to the different seasons.

Join wildlife filmmaker Tom Mustill for a thrilling investigation into the pioneering world of animal communication, where big data and artificial intelligence are changing our relationship with animals forever.

Discussing her book, ‘From Cave to Cosmos: A History of the Yorkshire Philosophical Society’, author Sarah Sheils will explore the ideas and scientists forming part of the society’s distinguished 200-year-long history.

Join Peter Harvey, teacher of mindfulness of breathing and scholar of Buddhism, to find out more about mindfulness as understood in Buddhist philosophy.

Writer and educator Philip 'Maty' Matyszak reveals the lost peoples and cultures who flourished and fought for survival alongside the Egyptians, Greeks and Romans.

Geoff Ashton, former Head of Employer Insight at a UK Government department, will explain the nine factors that influence people’s behaviour and lead a discussion on how these might be showing up in our daily lives.

Human geographer Anika Haque of the University of York discusses the importance of gender equality for sustainable development.

Neuroscientist Mark Humphries takes you on an epic journey to discover what happens in our brain in a single, brief action.

From Colombian emeralds in Tudor jewellery to Black voices in 18th-century novels, Lauren Working and Olivia Carpenter of the University of York invite you to reimagine and rediscover British art and literature.

Join us as we explore and reminisce on what the internet has been, and how this helps us build paths forward into the digital future.

Writer and editor Sam Bright tells the story of how a privileged elite has emulated the infamous Oxford dining society, inflicting its debauchery and destruction on the nation to inflate its own power, money and ego.

Sally-Anne Shearn of the Borthwick Institute for Archives provides a unique look into John Bowes Morrell’s imaginative idea for preserving and presenting history by building a Folk Park for York.

Science writer Katie Spalding shares the hilarious stories of celebrated historical figures that demonstrate the fine line between ‘genius’ and ‘extremely lucky idiot’.

Find out about Thankonomics, a new concept developed by York-based author, Andrew Robshaw, who will explain how, through value and appreciation, we can challenge the fundamentals of business and economics.

Award-winning Guardian journalist Luke Harding discusses the war that changed everything, talking about his experience reporting on the ground and confronting the crucial question: which side will prevail?

Hear all about York Cycle Campaign’s manifesto, ‘42 Ways’, and find out how cycling in York can be made safe, convenient and accessible for everyone.

Authors Emily Hund and Paula Marantz Cohen discuss how social media impacts our conversations, intimacy and relationship dynamics.

Philosophy professor Lawrence Shapiro explains why the tools of philosophy offer a powerful antidote to today’s epidemic of irrationality.

Cognitive neuroscientist Ana B. Vivas from CITY College, University of York Europe Campus discusses a new approach to improve learning in people with cognitive impairments.

Take a journey through the Mint Yard’s centuries-old story and through York Explore's extraordinary archives.

Neuroscientist Eric H. Chudler explores the mysteries and marvels of the three pounds of tissue between our ears - the brain.

Art curator Helena Cox introduces the hidden treasures from the University of York’s extensive and exciting art collection.

Join Alan Williams, Emeritus Professor of Iranian Studies, for a talk including a recitation and a performance by Seyed Ali Jaberi and the Hamdel Ensemble, centring on the story of an old musician, from the first book of Rumi’s ‘Masnavi’.

Find out about the OurLOTE Project, a collaborative social media project celebrating languages other than English used in the City of York.

Join philosopher and theologian Peter Vardy for a lively discussion on some of life’s biggest questions, posed by his two young daughters.

Focusing on a curated selection of pagan art and artefacts, writer and researcher Ethan Doyle White explains the complex histories of paganism and how today’s Pagans are inspired by the pre-Christian past.

Queer science fiction writer and researcher Bee Scott explores how science fiction plays are reinvestigating and challenging our assumptions about the future of queer life.

Have your understanding of democratic politics turned upside down by political scientist Larry M. Bartels, in conversation with political analyst Jarosław Kuisz.

Clinical neuropsychologist Kalliopi Megari from ​​CITY College, University of York Europe Campus provides intriguing insights into the dynamic relationship and strong connection between the heart and the brain.

Zoologist Louise Allcock leads you down into the canyons, trenches and hydrothermal vents of the watery abyss, presenting the deep ocean and its inhabitants as you have never seen them before.

Leading archaeologist Duncan Sayer of the University of Central Lancashire reveals how ancient DNA is helping us explore the movement of people in the early Middle Ages, between AD 450-750.

Join award-winning reporters Paola Totaro and Robert Wainwright for a fascinating exploration of how losing our sense of smell can shape our world, and how the global pandemic transformed our understanding of this mysterious sense.

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.

Neuroscientist and bestselling author Dean Burnett puts our everyday emotions under the microscope, uncovering how, far from holding us back, they make us who we are.

Join writer, scientist and educator Lixing Sun as he explores the evolution of cheating in the natural world, revealing how it has given rise to wondrous diversity.

Join us for a day of interdisciplinary events focusing on the changing ways in which humans have lived and farmed in and around Heslington from the pre-Roman period onwards.

Celebrate the beauty and diversity of our nation’s plants with ecologist, writer and BBC Countryfile presenter Mike Dilger, who discusses his mission to see 1,000 different wild plants in one calendar year.

Join Edgar Buchanan of the School of Physics, Engineering and Technology to discover how University of York researchers are planning to create the first robot system that will design and produce other robots.

Join Master Shipwright Tim Kirk to find out about the Sutton Hoo ship’s design and build, and to discover how the project celebrates Anglo-Saxon craftsmanship, the art of rowing and the possibility of power under sail.

Join us for an exciting talk with Alex Jackson, Curator at the National Football Museum in Manchester.

Palaeontologist Phil Manning takes you on a journey to the remote badlands of Wyoming, where he and his team have been investigating a dinosaur graveyard packed with skeletons, fossilised plants and footprints.

Learn about rescue robotics and discover how a laser-powered ‘puppet’ could tackle challenges of extremely harsh environments without sacrificing the mission.

Come and listen to top female and non-binary scientists as they take science to the streets of York - while standing on a soapbox!

York St John University academics and Biomedical Science students invite you to (re)discover the love of science, as they take you through the research design process to find new ways of understanding cancer and other common diseases.

Award-winning dog groomer, TV personality and experienced dog handler Verity Hardcastle tells you everything you need to know to create a joyful friendship with your dog.

Immerse yourself in gorgeous harmony with a massed choir of singers as we test the idea that group singing is an effective way of forming social connections with strangers.

Delve into the fascinating topic of cryptocurrencies with science communicator James Lees, who examines their origin, purpose and future.

Explore the planned voyages of the Sutton Hoo ship with University of York archaeologist and Sutton Hoo Ship’s Company Chair Martin Carver, and discover how they are designed to help us learn more about the seventh century.

Join archaeologist Jim Leary of the University of York for a fascinating exploration of our past that will make you look at the landscape around you with fresh eyes.

Award-winning health journalist Sarah Graham reveals the systemic and deep-rooted sexism within medicine, and explains what it will take to bridge the gender health gap.

Textile expert and author Clare Hunter discusses how Mary, Queen of Scots, used textiles to advance her political agenda, affirm her royal lineage and tell her own story.

Join University of York Visiting Researcher Monika Zabrocka to discover how offering viewers more appealing, creative Audio Description formats allows us to reinvent this tool in entirely new contexts.

Award-winning writer Peter Ross shares the tales of our country’s churches, and through them a story of Britain, one that is about people as much as place.

Author and linguist Paul Anthony Jones explains the true nuts and bolts of language, and provides answers to a plethora of linguistic questions you’ve likely never thought to ask.

Join historian Gillian Waters of the University of York’s Centre for Lifelong Learning to rediscover the fascinating stories behind the City of York’s coat of arms, which tell us more about medieval York.

Solicitor and former Chief Prosecutor Nazir Afzal provides insights into his 30-year-long groundbreaking career, the UK’s relationship with race and power, and more.

Learn about the lost art of baroque musical improvisation, and experience live how improvisation in classical music can increase accessibility, diversity and excitement.

Join historian and writer Caroline Dodds Pennock to find out what ‘discovering Europe’ meant for Indigenous Americans and how their worldviews and cultures impacted European civilisation.

Rediscover the Renaissance with Emily Stevenson and Lauren Working of the University of York, who, together with artist Loraine Rutt, will discuss how creating connections between art and archives can generate new ways of imagining the past.

Delve into the topic of biodiversity and discover the nuanced relationships between humanity and nature with environmental writer Emma Marris and Chris Thomas, Director of the Leverhulme Centre for Anthropocene Biodiversity at the University of York.

Travel back in time with media scholar Joanna Starzynski to watch and reflect upon footage from Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation and her tour of England.

Environmental writer Louise Gray shares the stories behind our favourite fruits and vegetables, and why nothing is ever perfect.

Film and TV studies expert Helen Wheatley of the University of Warwick discusses her recent study on representations of death, dying and bereavement on television, in conversation with University of York death studies scholar Ruth Penfold-Mounce.

Former Financial Times Whitehall editor Sebastian Payne presents the explosive inside account of how a prime minister lost his hold on power.

Join Graeme Green, curator for The Royal Dragoon Guards Collection, to discover the role of tanks during the Normandy landings.

Delve into the diversity of grammatical variation in spoken dialects of English with University of York linguist Claire Childs to find out how dialects follow their own sets of rules.

Join us to find out all about the curious and enduring relationship between one of Britain’s most renowned literary figures and his sister-in-law.

Join author and BBC Radio producer Phil Tinline for an insightful talk exploring the highs and lows of British politics over the past century.

Writer Alex Niven provides an in-depth exploration of the importance of the North of England in the modern era.

Science Museum Curator Glyn Morgan discusses the worldwide phenomenon of science fiction, revealing the scientific advances and imagination behind it.

Join bestselling author, historian and broadcaster Tracy Borman to hear one of the most extraordinary mother-and-daughter stories of all time.

Join us for a fascinating conversation with Michael Cashman, who made history - first as an actor, one half of the first gay kiss on a British soap, and then as a campaigner and politician fighting for gay rights.

Inspired by the unique Pricke of Conscience window at All Saints North Street, historian Andrew Crome of Manchester Metropolitan University explores how people through time have imagined the apocalypse.

Dave Harper, US-UK Fulbright Scholar at the University of York, discusses how the relocation of the King’s Printer to York in 1642 invites us to consider anew the relationship of print and power.

Join us for an unforgettable evening of powerful spirituals performed by GRAMMY-nominated countertenor Reginald Mobley and acclaimed jazz pianist Baptiste Trotignon.

Join Julius Bryant, Keeper Emeritus of Word and Image at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, to discover some of the most influential and compelling illustrated books on topics ranging from religion to shopping, and natural history to fashion.

It's the 10th anniversary of York's Three Minute Thesis Competition! Be inspired and learn about the cutting-edge research at the University of York from ten of our talented PhD researchers in the live final of the competition.

Join cultural studies expert Kirsty Sedgman to find out how unfairness and discrimination got baked into our social norms, and why, sometimes, we need to act unreasonably to bring about positive change.

Scottish MP Ian Blackford and award-winning broadcaster and writer Gavin Esler discuss the relationship between Scotland and England in the recent past, exploring the potential for creating a more constructive and positive relationship going forward.

Join geologist and science writer Nina Morgan to discover how every element of the Oxford University Museum of Natural History building was designed to teach science - and learn a lot about geology along the way!

Preti Taneja - writer, activist and literature professor - discusses her award-winning non-fiction book ‘Aftermath’, which interrogates the language of terror, trauma and grief, with writer and University of York lecturer Juliana Mensah.

From roses to rhubarb and from parsnips to pigs - this fascinating talk with garden historian, writer and researcher Twigs Way will explore the impact of WW2 on the garden.

Jay Courtney reads from her new book 'Juicy Crones' and leads a conversation about the joys and challenges of being an older woman.

Join author and perfumery expert Charles Sell for an engaging exploration of biblical perfumes that blends science, history and religion.

(Re)discover the Ukrainian language in its uniqueness and be reminded of the power of language in this important talk with University of York linguist Ursula Lanvers and Ukrainian visiting scholar Tetyana Lunyova.

Join archaeologist, educator and broadcaster Julian Richards for a captivating discussion on why science may not have all the answers to our questions about the past, and why we need imagination to bring it to life.

Historian Thomas Wright discusses the role of coercion and control in 1950s colonial Kenya through the lens of the rediscovered and controversial ‘migrated archives’.

Historian Charlotte Lydia Riley of the University of Southampton asks how the 1957 Home Office surveys and police responses to it can tell us more about the Windrush Scandal, the Hostile Environment and cultures of policing in Britain today.

Award-winning psychologist Harriet Ennis returns to the Festival to discuss the latest, intriguing dream theories and to explore the science behind why we dream.

Join University of York art historian Theo Gordon in conversation with photographer Sunil Gupta, whose work has continually pushed the boundaries of representation in photography, centring queer and postcolonial experiences.

Think you can do better than our current politicians? Want to challenge them and share your ideas with policymakers? Then come along to the Big Tent Ideas Festival to participate in conversations and interactive sessions.