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Samuel Pepys the Guitarist
At first, Samuel Pepys could see no virtue in the guitar at all and regarded it as a toy or 'bauble'. Yet he soon changed his mind as he be…
7 years, 9 months ago
From Two-Party to Multi-Party Politics
Between 1951 and 1959, over 95% of voters supported the two major parties. Since 1983, fewer than 80% have voted Conservative or Labour. How is the d…
7 years, 9 months ago
China: Art, Power and Revolutions, 1950-1976
The establishment of the People's Republic of China in 1949 gave Chinese artists a government that had explicit policies for the arts, seeing th…
7 years, 9 months ago
Speechwriting: Creating Authenticity
The image of the speechwriter in televised programmes (such as The Thick of It, The West Wing or Yes Minister) is something of a puppeteer, a siniste…
7 years, 9 months ago
Shakespeare's Fame
Ever since classical antiquity, poets and playwrights have written about famous heroes and anti-heroes, lovers and politicians. But they have also ye…
7 years, 9 months ago
Facts Matter, But They Aren't Enough: Science, Faith and Meaning in Life
In our post-truth age, facts often don't seem to meet the deepest human longings. So do we need to go against facts, or beyond them? What does t…
7 years, 9 months ago
Karl Marx - 200 Years On
To mark the 200th anniversary of the birth of Karl Marx (5 May 1818) and 150 years since Das Kapital was published in 1867, the lecture will explore …
7 years, 9 months ago
In Search of the Medieval Outlaw: The Tales of Robin Hood
The rulers of the medieval English kingdom discouraged resistance to authority by the widespread use of execution, outlawry, and exile. Yet medieval …
7 years, 10 months ago
What Really Happened at the First Moving-Picture Shows
The reception of moving pictures in 1894-96 has been much mythologised. Were spectators really frightened of an approaching train? Did they imagine s…
7 years, 10 months ago
The Child in the Family Court Room: Whose Child is it Anyway?
What role do children play in the family trial? The case concerns their future: how is their voice heard? What happens if they hold the key to the is…
7 years, 10 months ago