Lewes Speakers Festival, 22-23 January 2022

The Lewes Speakers Festival has brought together a number of authors to talk about their latest literature. This is a great chance to hear from authors with notable political, media and journalist backgrounds. All events will be held at the All Saints Centre in Lewes.

Tickets can be purchased either from the Box Office on: 0333 666 3366 or booked online. Early Bird price on individual tickets are £9.50 if bought before 20 December 2021.

Saturday 22 January events

11:20am Norman Baker, former Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport and Lewes MP takes a very critical stance on the role and behaviour of the Royal Family.

12:50pm Simon Heffer, nationally-renown journalist for the Telegraph and Spectator, looks at the impact of the First World War on British society and everyday life.

2:20pm Lord Tugendhat, former European Commissioner and Chairman of: Abbey National, talks about his unique take on the history of Britain in the first half of the last century told through the books that were written.

3:50pm Polly Toynbee, The star Guardian Columnist, and David Walker, former director of public reporting at the Audit Commission, offer the definitive survey of 2010-2020, one of the most tumultuous periods in British history and look to what lies ahead for us.

5:20pm Prof Sir David Omand, former Director-General of GCHQ and first UK Security and Intelligence Coordinator, gives us 10 lessons on how real spies think.

6:50pm Rachel Reeves MP, Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer, speaks about the women of Westminster who changed politics forever.

8:20pm Marina Chapman, The true story of Marina who as a 5 year old girl, after being kidnapped and left for dead in the jungle, spent 5 years living alone with Capuchin monkeys in Colombia. This is her astonishing story as told by Marina in person.

Sunday 23 January events

9:50am Susan Saunders, Journalist and documentary producer, speaks about her research into longevity and disease prevention.

11:20am Lord Howell, former Minister of State for Northern Ireland and Secretary of State for Energy, gives us a new picture of the dramas deep inside government and how yesterday’s clashes of ideology and personality have led to today’s unanticipated turmoil.

12:50pm Stanley Johnson, former MEP and father of well-known children, including the PM, speaks about his novel about the life of a child refugee from Cambodia and the international power games between Washington and Beijing that surround it.

2:20pm Robin Ince, Comedian and co-presenter of the BBC Radio 4 show,’The Infinite Monkey Cage’, reveals why scientific wonder isn’t just for the professionals. Based on his thoughts and  interviews with astronauts, comedians, teachers, quantum physicists, neuroscientists, he explores why many wrongly think of the discipline as so difficult.

3:50pm Vince Cable, former Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, and Skills, gives a history of the world leaders who changed economics and the lives of millions.

5:20pm Steve Richards, presenter of The Week in Westminster on BBC Radio 4, explains who leads us and why. From Harold Wilson to Theresa May, he brilliantly brings to life all nine inhabitants of 10 Downing Street over the past fifty years, vividly outlining their successes and failures.

6:50pm Dan Cruickshank, architectural historian and television presenter, gives an illustrated talk on his love of the architecture of London.