On Tuesday evenings from 14th January to 6th May 2025, St Martin-in-the-Fields church in Trafalgar Square, London will host a weekly literary event ‘The Conversation’, which has been curated by the venue and Peter Florence. Featuring various guests from the world of history, broadcasting, literature and science to name but a few, it will take on a novel format that includes both a formal interview and relaxed discussions with the audience at tables. It has been described as a “series of weekly conversations exploring the biggest topics of the day from global conflict to the climate crisis” and after casting my eyes over the schedule, I could not wait to preview this unique event on the website. There is even a theatre-themed date in the line-up which sounds perfect for fans of the dramatic arts!
Event format
Peter Florence will host the sessions alongside Claire Armitstead (formerly Associate Editor at The Guardian), Caitlin McNamara (journalist and campaigner) and Georgina Godwin (Monocle Magazine). Each evening begins at 6:30pm and will start with a 1-hour hosted interview session. Afterwards during the second hour, the speakers will circle small tables in the audience, providing attendees with the opportunity to discuss the topics covered on a more personal level.
Something for theatre fans?
Rather excitingly, theatre director Nicholas Hytner is on the schedule for Tuesday 18th March and will look at ‘Shakespeare’s examination of humanity and power’ with historian Helen Castor. The timing of this event is exceptional, with ‘Richard II’ opening at the Bridge Theatre from 10 Feb – 10 May 2025. I adored Nicholas’ work on ‘Guys & Dolls’ at the same venue and think this will be a really insightful talk for theatre and Shakespeare fans.
Full line-up
There are 15 conversations planned and the line-up is as follows:
14th January: Lindsey Hilsum (Channel 4 News International Editor)
28th January: Robert Macfarlane (Award-winning nature and landscape writer)
4th February: Maggie Aderin-Pocock (Astronomer)
11th February: Hanif Kureishi (Oscar-winning playwright, screenwriter and author)
18th February: Ahdaf Soueif (Author)
25th February: Roman Krznaric (Social philosopher)
4th March: Marion Turner (Oxford English Professor)
11th March: Paul Lynch (Author)
18th March: Nicholas Hytner (Theatre Director) and Helen Castor (Historian)
25th March: Bettany Hughes (Historian and Classicist)
1st April: Åsne Seierstad (War correspondent and Author)
8th April: Tom Holland (Historian and Presenter)
15th April: Fergal Keane (Correspondent and Author)
22nd April: Gaia Vince (Environmental writer and BBC Host) and Monica Feria-Tinta (Global Rights Lawyer and Author)
6th May: David Spiegelhalter (Cambridge Professor and ‘statistics national treasure’)
How to book ‘The Conversation’
With such a variety of speakers on the line-up, a visit to St Martin-in-the-Fields for ‘The Conversation’ this Winter/Spring is sure to make a memorable evening in London. You can purchase tickets to any of the dates via the venue’s website. In person tickets are priced at £15, but if you can’t make it to London, you can always purchase £10 tickets for the live stream instead.
Thanks for reading my blog today.
Love Kat xxxx
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