Julian Baggini
Co-founder and editor of Philosopher’s Magazine,
Julian also writes and broadcasts for The
Independent and BBC. Author of The Duck That
Won the Lottery: And 99 Other Bad Arguments.
Shahidha Bari
Lecturer in English and Philosophy at Queen Mary,
University of London, specialising in the fields of
continental philosophy and poetics. Shahidha is co-
founder of How to Live at www.htlblog.com.
Zygmunt Bauman
Best known for his description of postmodern
consumerism, the most recent additions to a
remarkable career include The Art of Life, and
Living in an Age of Uncertainty. Currently Emeritus
Professor of Sociology, University of Leeds.
Ken Binmore
Emeritus Professor of Economics, UCL, and awarded
the CBE in 2001. Ken Binmore is author of Natural
Justice and Rational Deciscions. Simon Blackburn
Author of Think and Truth: A guide for the
perplexed, Simon Blackburn has brought philosophy
to a wide audience. He is Professor of Philosophy at
Cambridge and Vice President of the British
Humanist Association. Phillip Blond
Political theorist and champion of ‘Red Toryism’,
Phillip Blond is Director of the Progressive
Conservatism Project at Demos and influential in
determining the future direction of Tory thinking. Richard Bronk
Author of The Romantic Economist: Imagination in
Economics, Richard Bronk spent 17 years in the City
including being an adviser to the Bank of England.
He is currently Visiting Fellow in European Political
Economy at LSE.
Eamonn Butler
Director of the Adam Smith Institute, Eamonn Butler
is author of The Rotten State of Britain: Who Is
Causing the Crisis and How to Solve It and The Best
Book on the Market: How to Stop Worrying and Love
the Free Economy.
Alex Callinicos
Director of the Centre for European Studies at King’s
College London, Alex Callinicos is author of Against
the Third Way and An Anti-Capitalist Manifesto and
a member of the central committee of the Socialist
Worker’s Party.
Justin Champion
A writer and broadcaster who has worked on
several radio and TV shows about British History,
including Channel 4’s The Great Plague. Justin
Champion is Professor of the History of Early Modern
Ideas at Royal Holloway. Robert Eaglestone
Author of The Holocaust and the Postmodern, which
offers a new approach to debates over truth and
memory. He is Professor of Contemporary Literature
and Thought at Royal Holloway, University of London. Siân Ede
Arts Director of the Gulbenkian Foundation and
pioneer of projects bringing artists and scientists
together. Siân Ede is author of Art and Science. Steve Fuller
Sociologist with a post-modern take, Steve Fuller has
an impressive line in the controversial. Dissent Over
Descent argued that intelligent design should be
taught on the science curriculum. Steve Fuller is
Professor of Sociology at Warwick.
David Goodhart
Commentator and journalist, David Goodhart is
founder and editor of Prospect, the monthly
magazine of political and cultural thought. He is a
former senior correspondent of the Financial Times.
AC Grayling
Professor of Philosophy at Birkbeck College,
University of London, Anthony Grayling is author of
Scepticism and the Possibility of Knowledge and
Ideas That Matter: A Personal Guide for the 21st
Century.
Christopher Hamilton
Author of Living Philosophy: reflections on life,
meaning and morality. Christoper Hamilton is Senior
Lecturer in Philosophy of Religion at Kings College,
London.
Douglas Hedley
Author of Living Forms of the Imagination, the first
of a trilogy exploring the role of imagination in
religious belief. Douglas Hedley is a Senior Lecturer
in the Philosophy of Religion at Cambridge.
Phil Hutchinson
Author of Shame and Philosophy and currently
working on The Green Manifesto: Politics—
Philosophy—Action. Phil Hutchinson is Senior
Lecturer in Philosophy at Manchester Metropolitan
University. Will Hutton
Eminent economic commentator, Will Hutton is
former editor-in-chief of The Observer, and came to
national prominence in the nineties as author of the
The State We’re In. He is currently executive vice-
chair of The Work Foundation.
Joe Kerr
Writer and broadcaster on matters of art,
architecture and design. Joe Kerr is Head of Critical
and Historical Studies at the Royal College of Art.
Ruth Levitas
Known for her work on utopianism and social
exclusion. Ruth Levitas is co-founder of the Utopian
Studies Society and Professor of Sociology at Bristol
University. Kenan Malik
Author of From Fatwa to Jihad: The Rushdie Affair
and its Legacy, Kenan Malik is a regular
broadcaster for BBC Radio 4, including Cells, souls
and science. Hilary Lawson
Author of Closure: a story of everything, a post
Derridian return to metaphysics, and Reflexivity: the
post-modern predicament. Hilary Lawson is Director
of the Institute of Art and Ideas and Vice-Chair of
the Forum for European Philosophy. Geoff Mulgan
Director of Policy at 10 Downing Street under Tony
Blair and chief advisor to Gordon Brown in the
1990s, Geoff Mulgan is author of Good and Bad
Power: the ideals and betrayals of government. Alun Munslow
UK Editor of Rethinking History: The Journal of
Theory and Practice and author of Narrative and
History. Alan Munslow is Visiting Professor of History
and Historical Theory at the University of Chichester. Susan Neiman
Susan Neiman is Director of the Einstein Forum in
Potsdam, Germany. Her latest book Moral Clarity:
A Guide for Grown-up Idealists is a defence of the
moral values and vocabulary of the Enlightenment. Fabienne Peter
Author of Democratic Legitimacy and Professor of
Philosophy at Warwick. Fabienne Peter’s primary
interests – and current fields of research – include
political legitimacy, justice and equality. Alex Prichard
Founder of the Anarchist Studies Network, Alex
Prichard works in the Dept. of European Studies and
Modern Languages at the University of Bath. Anders Sandberg
James Martin Research Fellow at the Future of
Humanity Institute, Oxford. Anders’ research focuses
on human enhancement through new technologies. Mark Vernon
Author of Wellbeing and After Atheism, he began
his professional life as a priest in the Church of
England and is now a religious agnostic. Mark
Vernon is a freelance broadcaster and journalist for
the BBC and The Guardian. | 
Ed Aczel
Unforgettably awkward and shambolic, with all the
charm and delivery of a suicidal middle manager,
Ed Aczel undermines whatever standup comedy is
supposed to be with uncomfortable and hilarious
effect. Here he previews material for his forthcoming
Edinburgh Fringe season. The Amethyst
Tafari Hinds and Jonty Balls may be more obviously
recognisable on the cover of GQ than behind the
decks, but they’re not just pretty faces. As The
Amethyst, they draw on influences from reggae,
rock and roots to create an electrifying new sound. Baka Beyond
Pioneering the fusion of African and Celtic music,
Baka Beyond’s beautiful collision of worlds has
delighted a wide audience of world music fans and
festivalgoers with its energy and complexity. Their
latest album Baka Beyond The Forest was recorded
like its predecessors in an 8-track Cameroon
rainforest studio. Mike Bubbins
Offering penetrating insights into tracksuits, bitterness
and misery, Mike Bubbins’ relative intellect proved
unsuited to his previous career as PE teacher and he
was forced to turn to comedy. Here he previews his
upcoming Edinburgh show It’s Not The End Of The
World (But You Can See It From Here). Tom Craine
Voted the 33rd Sexiest Man in Wales, Tom Craine
previews material from his forthcoming Edinburgh
season. Award-winning, fast and funny, Tom Craine
has worked widely on TV and radio since his stand-
up debut in 2006. Roger Eno + The Paper Cinema
From sparse piano works to atmospheric electronic
collages, composer/performer Roger Eno’s solo
output has a delicate beauty. With illustrator and
Paper Cinema creator Nic Rawling’s projections of
intricate illustrations, mysterious stories create a live
cinema experience and one of the most acclaimed
acts of 2008’s Edinburgh Fringe. Stephen Fretwell
Debut single Run became embedded as the
soundtrack for the successful UK comedy Gavin &
Stacey. A gold-selling debut album and the Ivor
Novello nominated Man on The Roof followed.
Stephen Fretwell plays his only UK festival date as
he prepares to record his third album. Robin Ince
Winner of the Time Out Award for Outstanding
Achievement in Comedy, Robin Ince is a regular TV
and radio comedian and longtime collaborator with
Ricky Gervais. His stand-up act is characterised by
an intelligence that precipitates down warped
tangents, turning his critical gaze to astronomy,
evolution and, terrifyingly, Vanessa Feltz. Elis James
Welsh raconteur Elis James won the National Student
Radio Award in 2006 for his comedy debut, leading
to appearances on Radio 1 and S4C along with TV
writing credits. His television work and conversational
style have won him many followers – here he
previews this summer’s new Edinburgh Fringe material. Richard James
Having merged the bizarre and the beautiful to
critical acclaim as part of Gorky’s Zygotic Mynci in
the 90s, Richard James released his solo album The
Seven Sleepers Den in 2006. Named after an ancient
pagan myth, its dreamy folk and psychedelia
marked him out as a cult talent whose musicianship
makes for a subtle remarkable performance. Philip Jeays
Operatic, deeply melancholic and boldly poetic,
Philip Jeays is an overwhelmingly intimate
performer with a cult-like grip on his audience.
His four albums reveal a romantic troubadour and
acerbic cynic, a chansonnier in the Gallic tradition
of Jacques Brel and a great lyricist. Pete Lawrence
Trailblazing the chill-out genre and transforming the
UK’s relationship with festivals and club culture, Pete
Lawrence founded The Big Chill in 1994 and saw it
grow from its first incarnation as Sunday Club into
one of the summer’s biggest events. Ever riding new
cultural waves, he is a journalist, writer and recording
artist as well as one of the most influential DJs around. Little Lost David
Sheffield-born lyricist Little Lost David emerged to
acclaim at last year’s Secret Garden Party and
Great Escape after years in the wilderness, having
been kidnapped from obscurity by Madonna. With
influences spanning from Ella Fitzgerald to Tom
McRae and hints of Billie Holiday, Little Lost David’s
brand of haunting melody feels unique. Michael Nyman
Perhaps best known for his score for The Piano,
Michael Nyman’s film work is the tip of a creative
iceberg. As well as composing numerous operas
and librettos, he is an influential scholar and critic.
As a photographer and film-maker, documenting
his travels in the course of his work, he demonstrates
an eye as bold and experimental as his music. Gaynor O’Flynn
In her early career as a director, Gaynor O’Flynn did
time on legendary music show The Tube before
travelling to the Himalayas where she worked with
the Dalai Lama. Here she discovered her voice, and
promptly won various awards and Arts Council
sponsorship on her return to the UK, where she is now
an established world music promoter and producer. Ewan Pearson
To describe Ewan Pearson as an uncharacteristically
intellectual DJ would do justice neither to his crafty
pop sensibility nor, perhaps, to the profession at
large. He plays most of Europe’s legendary venues,
from Panoramabar to Space, has published
Discographies, an unashamedly highbrow critique
of club culture, and sits in the top rank of dance
music producers and remixers. The Rollercoaster Project
A mix of synthesisers, electric guitar and ambient
strangeness, the Rollercoaster Project’s brand of
laptop electronica has been gaining momentum
since 2005 and the release of debut album
Hatefield. It consists mostly of musician Johnny
White, freshly back from a sojourn in the US where
he acted in and partly soundtracked the Robert
Pattinson film How To Be. The Roots Union
Their Glastonbury performances have been responsible
for various 5am revelations and quite rightly attract a
cult following in the folk and festival worlds. The Roots
Union’s blend of violins, harmonica, and four-part
harmonies results in the sort of rousing, thoughtful and
complex folk that, although entirely acoustic, is anthemic
and infectiously danceable. Ana Silvera
After spending her youth performing with the English
National Opera, poetic chanteuse Ana Silvera
wandered off on a contemporary Grand Tour to
perfect her craft. Interested in “telling archetypal
stories in a new way, unfolding things from
unexpected perspectives,” she uses layers of
persona to create a richly literary style that is both
classical and contemporary.
| 
Artscape Project
The Artscape Project is a collective of video artists
who have defined and developed the medium of
video painting. The Artscape Project has exhibited
at the ICA and the Hayward Gallery. A non-
narrative medium, without dialogue or sound, the
video painting aims to escape our cultural and
perceptual closures, freeing the viewer to play in
the openness of the image. Julian Cox
A member of the Royal British Society of Sculptors,
and a graduate from Goldsmith’s, Julian Cox has
been exhibiting his abstract work since 1985. His
ink and pencil drawings use simple lines to create
classic nude compositions with a contemporary
edge. James Starr
Like Andy Warhol, James Starr is an illustrator
turned painter. He counts some of biggest names of
fashion, such as Topshop and Levis, among his
clients. His layered images combine original
screenprinted material, photography, digital and
freehand illustration and collage. Katalina Szombath
Award-winning artist, filmmaker and designer,
Katalina Szombath’s most recent solo exhibition was
in St Petersburg earlier this year. Her painting is
bold and elemental and its exploration of colour
and light has a transcendent quality. |
