Going to talks can broaden your horizons, encourage empathy, and ultimately leave you a smarter, wiser and kinder human being than you were when you went in.
But we don’t want to lecture you.
Instead we’ll leave that to the many guest speakers, research professors, illustrious poets, artists, and social activists who regularly take to the stage in London to share their insights with the masses. Whatever you want to brush up on – whether it’s the history of London cults or the neuroscience behind music – there’s a lecture, candlelit evening, or mind-broadening salon to suit you.
And so to buoy you forwards on your quest for intellectual enlightenment, we’ve picked out the most interesting talks taking place this month, as well as the places that put on regular talks in London so you can look ahead:
TALKS & LECTURES IN LONDON THIS MONTH
Remembering & Forgetting
The Royal Institute of Philosophy holds regular talks on a particular theme, with the current season tackling the concept of memory. Upcoming talks are set to explore the way personal memories shape our individual identities; how to find the balance between acknowledging and moving forwards from trauma; how forgetting is really central to forgiving; and the way social media and the internet has impacted the way we collectively remember and forget.
Details: 10th & 17th October, 14th & 21st November | Malet St, London, WC1E 7HU | Free/£8 to guarantee entry
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Life, Death and the Human Art of Undertaking
Giving a human being a proper send-off? That’s quite an undertaking. And in this (morbidly fascinating) talk for the spookiest month of the year, ‘radical undertakers’ Ru Callender and Evie King will discuss their unconventional approaches to funerals. From coffins on pub tables to Viking-style funeral pyres, they’ll talk about their work creating events that celebrate the departed as an individual, and how we can reframe the way we think about life, death and grief.
Details: 10th October, 7-9pm | 25 Red Lion Square, London, WC1R 4RL | £13
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Mourad Mazouz: The Artistry of Sketch
Wondering how the dazzling interiors of Sketch came to be? Allow its founder to paint you a picture… Mourad Mazouz will be talking to World of Interiors style director Gianluca Longo about creating his destination restaurant, which has inspired and commissioned pieces by artists like Yinka Shonibare CBE, David Shrigley, Mr Doodle and more.
Details: 14th October, 7-8.45pm | V&A, Cromwell Road, London, SW7 2RL | £15-18
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How To Win Every Game
We’re not competitive. But if we were, we’d probably be really good at it. And if your idea of a great Wednesday night is mercilessly crushing your friends at Catan then you’ll probably be into this talk for winners: author and brainbox mathematician Marcus du Sautoy will give you the run-down on how to statistically crush every kind of game – including how to use π to win Rock, Paper, Scissors.
Details: 14th October, 7-8.30pm | The Pleasance Theatre, North Road, London N7 9EF | £30.54
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Boris Johnson: What Happened To Serious Politics?
Good question. And two (very different) Boris biographers will come together at Conway Hall to try and unpick the controversial chaos of the prime minister’s tenure, from his skyrocketing ascent to power back in 2019 to the total collapse of his government amid scandal and questions over Covid-19. Between Sir Anthony Seldon’s rigorously researched analysis and the satirical stylings of comedy writer Lucien Young, it’s possible you might just about leave with some understanding of the bumbling enigma.
Details: 16th October, 6.30-8pm | 25 Red Lion Square, London, WC1R 4RL | £10
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An Evening of Unnecessary Detail
Promising to last 10,800 seconds, An Evening of Unnecessary Detail is the – amazingly – sell-out show run by the Festival of the Spoken Nerd. Prepare for a night of music, comedy and short talks on astonishingly niche topics. This month’s speaker line-up is yet to be announced, but you can be almost entirely certain that they’ll be speaking passionately about things that have probably never even crossed your mind before.
Details: 20th October, 7-10pm | The Royal Institution, 21 Albemarle Street, London W1S 4BS | £15-20
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The Last Tuesday Society
Hallowe’en is basically Christmas for this occult-obsessed Hackney bar, so their events calendar gets particularly busy at this time of year. Aside from live séances, gothic storytelling and palm-reading nights, the bar’s co-owners, Allison Crawbuck and Rhys Everett, will be talking about some of history’s most dramatic occult drinking rituals, with a welcome cocktail featuring their own absinthe, crafted at London’s only distillery.
Details: 21st October, 6.30-8.30pm | 11 Mare Street London E8 4RP | £21.49
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Bach’s Invention: The Divine Trickery of J. S. Bach
Sure, you might think of Bach as one of those – well, classic composers. But it turns out he was basically the crazy upstart of the Baroque period, weaving hidden symbols, names and numbers into his music, with looping and mirrored refrains and even puzzles that musicians had to solve in order to play the correct notes. Imagine what he could have done with a Moog synthesiser and a loop pedal. And if you want to find all these little easter eggs, head to the LSO in Old Street this month where Professor Milton Mermikides will give you the inside track.
Details: 23rd October, 6pm | LSO St. Luke’s, 161 Old Street, London EC1V 9NG | Free
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David Tennant Meets Greg Doran: My Shakespeare
You might need to bunk off work for this one (unless you’re an actor), but if you can get to the glamorous Theatre Royal Drury Lane on a Friday afternoon, you’ll be able to catch two of the bard’s biggest fans in conversation. As former artistic director of the RSC, Greg Doran’s directed or produced every single play in Shakespeare’s First Folio, while David Tennant – outside of time travelling in a blue police box – has played some of the bard’s most formidable characters to critical acclaim. Together, they’ll discuss the joys and challenges of putting 17th century plays on the modern stage, including anecdotes about the late RSC supporter who asked to play Yorick (a skull) in Hamlet…
Details: 25th October, 2-3.30pm | Theatre Royal Drury Lane, Catherine St, London WC2B 5JF | £36.70+
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Hew Locke in Conversation
The British Museum is about to display something that’s younger than most of its objects by about 2000 years. It’s a specially-commissioned installation by the Guyanese-British artist Hew Locke, who’s crafted sculptures as a response to objects from the museum’s collection as a way to explore their complex links with Britain’s imperial past. The exhibition opens on 17th October, and at the start of November he’ll be discussing the project with his assisting co-curator Indra Khanna, British Museum curator Isabel Seligman, and arts author Emma Dabiri.
Details: 1st November, 6.30-7.45pm | British Museum, Great Russell Street, London WC1B 3DG | £12
POPULAR LONDON VENUES FOR TALKS & LECTURES
V&A Museum
Tucked away from the museum’s busier rooms is the V&A’s princely lecture hall, lined with some of history’s great thinkers (which, very shortly, will also include you). They offer free lunchtime lectures as well as ticketed evening talks, variously inspired by current exhibitions; prized objects; and even the process of collecting itself.
Details: Cromwell Road, SW7 2RL | What’s On | Listen to previous lectures
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Nicer Tuesdays
A regular evening curated by It’s Nice That, during which speakers from creative industries discuss their most seminal projects to date, and reveal the processes behind them in short, snappy presentations. They also sell out quicker than hotcakes, so subscribe to their mailing list to stay updated on ticket releases.
Details: EartH, 11-17 Stoke Newington Rd, London N16 8BH | Monthly | What’s on
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How To Academy
Striking the tricky balance between talks that aren’t overly broad and vague, but aren’t university-level specific either, the How To Academy hosts lectures across London with a range of speakers. You can listen to in-depth discussions from historians, professors and researchers; learn life skills from some of the world’s most experienced consultants and coaches; and hear from famous figures from Alain de Botton to Al Gore.
Details: Across London | What’s On
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National Gallery
The National Gallery is essentially moonlighting as an art school, with free lunchtime talks on various paintings; longer lectures on broader themes; ‘Talk and Draw’ workshops, where you’ll hear from an expert on a particular painting before creating your own take on the piece; and gallery talks every Friday night when the NG stays open after-hours.
Details: Trafalgar Square, WC2N 5DN | What’s On
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The British Museum
Curators, historians and archaeologists take to the stand at the British Museum, where you can dip into everything from free gallery talks to Latin classes. There are regular free lectures linked to current exhibitions, as well as study days on weekends that combine talks, tours and screenings for an intensive introduction to some of the world’s most fascinating places, people and eras.
Details: Great Russell Street, WC1B 3DG | What’s On
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Royal Academy of Arts
The Royal Academy has been training and promoting artists since the reign of George III. Now, it’s promoting art appreciation, too, thanks to both the 15 minute mini-talks that take place around its galleries, and the more in-depth discussions covering both the history and future of art.
Details: Burlington House, Piccadilly, W1J 0BD | What’s On
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The Last Tuesday Society
The Last Tuesday Society is not your average bar. And the Viktor Wynd Museum of Curiosities is not your average museum. So the events held amongst the stuffed two-headed animals and voodoo dolls are just a touch unusual too; from absinthe tastings to taxidermy classes; and gothic storytelling to séances round the sarcophagus.
Details: 11 Mare Street, E8 4RP | What’s On
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The British Academy
Set in the grandiose surroundings of William Gladstone’s former mansion, the British Academy is a century-old society dedicated to tackling the big questions in the humanities and social sciences. Drop by for discussions on loneliness or the future of romance, while taking a peek at one of London’s most opulent buildings.
Details: 10-11 Carlton House Terrace, SW1Y 5AH | What’s On
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Conway Hall
The Conway Hall Ethical Society has roots going as far back as 1793, and is now the only remaining ethical society in the UK.
Essentially, it’s there for moral support.
And it’s achieving this not only through courses, photography workshops, film screenings, free concerts, comedy nights and language classes, but also by lining up a roster of esteemed activists, writers and academics who speak on topics like the societal impact of big data and the technocracy, political extremism, and the significance of corridors.
Details: 25 Red Lion Square, WC1R 4RL | What’s On
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Gresham College
Gresham College has been hosting free lectures for Londoners for over four centuries, so it’s fair to say they’ve got the formula down. They host around 130 lectures throughout the year on topics across the arts and sciences, while the 2,000+ lectures that have been recorded there since the ’80s can be found on their website, too. Ideal for a classic evening of “How To Be A Shakespearean Atheist” ‘n’ chill.
Details: Barnard’s Inn Hall, EC1N 2HH | What’s On
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The Old Operating Theatre Museum
Mike Peel
Tucked away in a church attic, The Old Operating Theatre Museum was once the venue for surgery performed on female patients from the neighbouring St. Thomas hospital. Now, it’s home to film screenings, secret concerts, quirky historical talks and the occasional after-hours Victorian surgical demonstration.
Details: Old Operating Theatre Museum and Herb Garret, 9a St Thomas Street, SE1 9RY | What’s On
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University College London
UCL has over 100 different academic departments, which together make for an insanely varied calendar of both free talks and ticketed lectures, on topics as wide as artificial intelligence to Latin American street art. Held in the University’s own lecture rooms, it’s all the useful bits of uni (broadening your mind) without any of the bad bits (essays, exams, jägerbombs).
Details: Across the UCL Campus | What’s On
Thirst for knowledge still not quenched? Pay a visit to the most unusual museums in London