Tim Flannery, Rosie Boycott
The writer and Ecologist examines our changing climate and what it means for life on Earth. 'It would be hard to imagine a better or more important book' Bill Bryson.
David Rose, Clive Stafford Smith
Stafford Smith (Bad Men: Guantanamo Bay and the Secret Prisons) and Rose (Violation: Justice, Race and Serial Murder in the Deep South; Guantanamo: America's War on Human Rights) explore America's negation of constitutional principle and the rule of law.
Ronnie Corbett
The legendary comedian talks about his autobiography And it’s Goodnight from Him.
Derek Walcott
A reading and conversation with the St Lucian poet, teacher and Nobel Laureate, whose Odyssey version Omeros is hailed as one of the greatest poems of the 20th century. Chaired by William Sieghart.
Quentin Blake
The illustrator draws and talks about his creations from Mr Magnolia and Mrs Armitage to the BFG and Matilda.
David Attenborough
The broadcaster reviews the techniques that have been used over the last century to bring natural history to the television screen.
William Hague
The charismatic Parliamentarian celebrates the great abolitionist.
Doris Lessing, Peter Florence
The writer’s latest novel The Cleft imagines a mythical society free from men.
Jon Snow, June Arunga, Richard Cockett
Much of Africa remains crippled by famine, war, disease and underdevelopment. Many complain of lack of aid and unfair trade terms, but is Africa destined to be impoverished because of the venality and corruption in the nations’ governance? Or are the political leaders doing the best they can in a continent still devastated by the legacy of slavery and colonialism?
Jon Snow chairs, speakers include June Arunga, Richard Cockett, Professor Tunde Zack-Williams and Michael Gidney Chair of the Fairtrade Foundation's Board and Director of Policy for the NGO Traidcraft Exchange.
Terry Eagleton
The Prof ranges across literature and philosophy, and comes up with some answers of his own.
General Sir Michael Rose
The former UNPROFOR (Bosnia) Commander examines the parallels between the guerrilla tactics used by Washington against the British in 1775, and by the Sunni insurgents against the Allies in Iraq today.
Anthony Horowitz
The sensational author of the Alex Rider and Power of Five series writes unparalleled thrills, chills and adventure. 8 yrs +
Colin Thubron
The travel-writer passes through China, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, Iran and Turkey, taking in the most sterile desert on earth and the strife-torn mountain valleys of today’s conflicts. ‘To be travelling the Silk Road is to be travelling the history of the world: tracing the passage not just of trade and armies, but of ideas, religions and inventions.’
Richard Perle, Philippe Sands QC
Bush’s former NeoCon Defense Policy Advisory Committee Chairman recently recanted his support for the invasion of Iraq: ‘At the end of the day, you have to hold the President responsible’.
Mark Tully
A fascinating, deeply personal account of the impact the Subcontinent has had on the life and beliefs of the broadcaster.
David Puttnam
The advertising-man, film-maker, studio-head and now educator and political heavyweight discusses his career with Peter Florence
Maureen Lipman
The national treasure receives the 2007 Listening Books Award, celebrating outstanding contribution to the spoken word. Chaired by LBA Trustee Jim Naughtie.
Edna O'Brien, Francesca Rhydderch
The great Irish novelist discusses her classic debut The Country Girls and her new novel The Light of the Evening with the New Welsh Review Editor.
Orhan Pamuk, Maureen Freely
The 2006 Nobel Laureate, talks to his translator about his work My Name is Red, Snow and Istanbul: Memories and the City.
Andrew Marr
The victory of shopping over politics, the collisions of government and people, and the resilience, comedy, cars and greatness of Britannia.
Lord Butler talks to Philippe Sands QC
A conversation about governance with the country’s senior civil servant, and author of the Butler Inquiry, into the intelligence relating to Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction.
Vivienne Westwood
The iconoclast fashion Dame issues her cultural manifesto.
Richard Dawkins, Rosie Boycott
The geneticist eviscerates religion, intelligent design, and the idea of a supreme being.
Dave Eggers, Valentino Achak Deng
The true story of the courage and endurance of a boy wrenched by conflict from his Sudanese family home and joining thousands of other orphans on the exodus to Ethiopia.
Chaired by David Freeman.
Neil Mac Gregor
The Director of the British Museum gives the annual lecture.
Chaired by Festival President Tom Bingham.
Ruth Rendell, Stephanie Merritt
The great psychological thriller and crime writer discusses her work.
Steve Jones
Scientists are professional pessimists, always dubious about what they find. Believers, in contrast, are certain: full of joy that their own Big Book contains the truth. The geneticist talks about science and faith as conflicting explanations of what we are; and how biology, in the end, is blind.
Kathy Lette, John Mortimer
Lette (married to Geoffrey Robertson) wrote How To Murder Your Husband. Mortimer created Rumpole.
Chaired by meettheauthor.com’s David Freeman
Martin Rees, Neil Turok, Bernard Carr
The pre-eminent astronomers and cosmologists discuss how recent developments in cosmology and particle physics have led to the remarkable realization that our universe – rather than being unique – could be just one of many universes. This multiverse proposal may explain the fine-tunings which appear necessary for the emergence of life, as well as the origin of our universe. Chaired by science broadcaster Quentin Cooper.
George Monbiot
How to Stop the Planet Burning analyses the issue of carbon emission with ruthless rigour and elegant clarity. The action and commitments Monbiot proposes are politically compelling and define how we might all move forward.
Gruff Rhys, Phil Rickman
The Super Furry Animals singer-songwriter talks music, politica and the subtle art of being angry. He;ll also perform some of the songs from his new solo album Candylion.
Kiran Desai, Steve Davies, Claire Armistead
The Indian Novelist discusses her 2006 Man Booker-winning novel The Inheritance of Loss Davies introduces her beautiful and politically passionate The Eyrie. They talk to the Guardian's Literary Editor.
Wole Soyinka, Nik Gowing
The Nigerian Nobel Laureate talks about freedom of expression, the need to articulate truths and the power of literature.
JPR Williams, Peter Florenec
JPR Williams talks to Peter Florence Rugby’s greatest full-back talks about his career with his biggest fan.