In 1971, the UN’s longest-serving Secretary-General U Thant was ranked the sixth ‘most admired man’ in America. So why is he largely forgotten today?  Award-winning historian Thant Myint-U traces his…more

James Stuart was many things: King of England, Scotland and Ireland, genius, liar, witch-hunter, spendthrift, idealist, and lover. Though he did not always love wisely, he never failed to do…more

Ned Boulting is the UK’s voice of cycling. He’s covered every Tour de France for ITV since 2003 and had memorable, chaotic encounters with top riders and from all the…more

Simon Hall, Professor of Modern History at the University of Leeds, tells the stories of the three communist revolutions in Russia, China and Cuba that changed world history forever. Discover…more

More than 200 years after Jane Austen’s death and more than 170 after the deaths of Anne, Emily and Charlotte Brontë, we are still uncovering clues about their extraordinary lives…more

Do you know your Chronicles of Narnia from your Game of Thrones? Your Anne Tyler from your Ann Patchett? Quiz Master Mel returns by popular demand with her annual book…more

Bestselling author and comedian Alan Davies shares how he navigated his way from the camaraderie of the comedy circuit, via life-changing fame, to the unwelcome realisation that most people know…more

The 1990s: Britpop is dominating the charts, Kate Moss and Naomi Campbell stare out from every glossy magazine and British fashion is ripe for reinvention. Leading the charge is a…more

Join Poet Laureate and Yorkshireman Simon Armitage for an engaging evening of readings from his two new poetry books: Dwell and New Cemetery. Dwell, a recent Sunday Times bestseller, uses…more

Explore Fyodor Dostoyevsky’s short story ‘The Meek One’ (1876) in this guided reading group led by Dr Sarah Hudspith, one of the UK’s foremost Dostoyevsky scholars. Examine and discuss Dostoyevsky’s…more

Ian Patterson, author of Books: A Manifesto, joins Laura Lucia Rossi and Olivia Santovetti from the University of Leeds Centre for World Literatures in this lively panel discussion exploring the…more

What makes a story? Let award winning writer Rachel Bower show you in this fun, supportive workshop. Together, you’ll escape the terror of the blank page, experiment with fresh ideas…more

The Western-dominated world is coming to an end. As America withdraws from its role as enforcer of the international order, other countries are moving in to fill the void. Among…more

The Western-dominated world is coming to an end. As America withdraws from its role as enforcer of the international order, other countries are moving in to fill the void. Among…more

The environmental crisis is already here – and it’s set to get much worse. How can we lead good lives without hastening global collapse?  In this hopeful event, environmentalist and…more

Popular music is political even when it doesn’t directly address political issues. Stan Erraught, lecturer in the School of Music at the University of Leeds, explores how popular music intersects…more

What has data ever done for us? Answering that question is Georgina Sturge, House of Commons Library statistician. Hear the rich history of the times the UK has counted itself…more

Why are young people in Britain today turning to faith in our age of uncertainty? Somerset Maugham Award-winning writer Lamorna Ash embarked on a journey across Britain to meet the…more

Why are young people in Britain today turning to faith in our age of uncertainty? Somerset Maugham Award-winning writer Lamorna Ash embarked on a journey across Britain to meet the…more

Nations are turning away from each other. Faith in globalisaton has been fatally undermined by the pandemic, the energy crisis, surging trade frictions and swelling great power rivalry. So what…more