New World Orders
About our events
In a world of increased conflict and complex entanglements, it can be bewildering to follow the international news, never mind understand the forces shaping global change. Upheaval in US foreign policy alone is changing the world around us faster than has happened in decades.
We bring together the most authoritative voices across economics, law, and politics, to help untangle the threads which bring countries together and divide them – and where the UK sits in it all.
We look at the international flow of money and power, with leading analysts including former US State Department official Edward Fishman and Oxford academic Carl Benedikt Frey. Rana Dasgupta and Ece Temelkuran consider borders and the refugees who must cross them, and we hear from top tier journalists including Anand Gopal and Scott Anderson.
Historian Simon Sebag Montefiore explores the origins of the modern Middle East, sinologists Frank Dikötter and Isabel Hilton explore the makings of the Chinese Communist Party, Åsne Seierstad paints a portrait of Russian lives under Putin, and Anthony Seldon explores the impact of 10 years since Brexit.
The New York Times’ Edward Wong reports on how the decisions made in Washington play out on the international stage, former Chancellor and Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt counters the narrative that Britain’s international influence is in the decline, while John Kampfner argues Britain’s solutions can only be found by looking more outwardly for inspiration.
List of Events
Peter Apps & Lina Khatib: The Next World War
It would be easy to say that for the first time since the Cold War, the next world war feels like a matter of ‘when’, not ‘if’. Here to…
Edward Fishman: How Economic Warfare is Changing the World
The global oil market follows critical arteries, and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz is a demonstration of the fragility of the system;…
George E Osborn: Video Games, Politics, and the Battle for Global Influence
Video games are played by – and connect – billions of people worldwide, meaning that, beyond entertainment value, they hold incredible…Steve Crossan & Alan Finkel: Inside the Machine
An unmissable conversation with two fascinating figures at the forefront of global scientific innovation: Alan Finkel, former Chief…
Sanna Marin & Nicola Sturgeon: How to Lead a Country
What does it take to lead a country with both courage and compassion? How do you balance hope with pragmatism; a personal life with a…
Edward Fishman & Carl Benedikt Frey: You Can’t Fight Progress
Former US State Department official Edward Fishman and Oxford academic Carl Benedikt Frey take us right into the real-life thriller that is…
Jeremy Hunt: Can We Be Great Again?
A major figure in the previous Conservative UK Government, Jeremy Hunt has served as Chancellor and Foreign Secretary, and led the Culture…
Jeremy Hunt & John Kampfner: Great vs Better
What does Britain have to offer on the world stage in the 21st century? Are we leaders, or is there much to learn? And in seeking to fix…
Kenneth R Rosen & Odd Arne Westad: Polar Power
Greenland was thrust into the global spotlight by President Donald Trump announcing his intent to acquire the Arctic territory, by hook or…
Simon Sebag Montefiore: The Cauldron
In this timely, thought-provoking event, bestselling author and historian Simon Sebag Montefiore discusses The Cauldron: The Making of the…Scottish Parliament Elections: Where to From Here?
The votes are counted, and 2026’s Scottish Parliament election has delivered a winner – but has it delivered a workable government? Will…Victor Mallet, Nikesh Shukla & Daniel Trilling: The Far-Right Has Risen
Across the world, the far-right is emboldened, on the rise, gathering support by demonising migrants, scapegoating minorities, and…
Natasha Walter & Talat Yaqoob: A Feminist Response to Polycrises
Writers and activists Natasha Walter and Talat Yaqoob come together for a vital conversation on global feminism. In Feminism for a World on…
Oliver Bullough: Everybody Loves Our Dollars
Following his oligarch-busting Butler to the World, Oliver Bullough returns to hang the world’s dirty money out to dry. In Everybody Loves…
Frank Dikötter: Red Dawn Over China
Over a century ago, the Chinese Communist Party emerged as a band of radical, Soviet Union-backed countryside insurgents. Now, it presides…
Jason Burke: The Revolutionists
In the 1970s a new breed of charismatic and violent extremists publicised their causes before a global audience through hijackings,…
Åsne Seierstad: Russian Lives at War
In an at-war nation which has shut down dissent and reportage, how can we glimpse behind the curtain? Discussing Unpeace: Russian Lives at…
A C Grayling: For the People
The great British philosopher and academic A C Grayling’s appearances are always an intellectual highlight of the Book Festival, as he…
Mikhail Fishman & Martin Sixsmith: Fear and Loathing in the Kremlin
As new wars flare elsewhere, Russia’s attacks on Ukraine haven’t abated since 2022's full-scale invasion, and began well before it. Hear…Beyond Borders: Women in Conflict
The Women in Conflict 1325 Fellowship Programme – funded by the Scottish Government and run by international dialogue and cultural exchange…The Ukraine Shelf: What to Read about Ukraine
In the fifth year of Russia’s full-scale invasion, The Ukraine Shelf podcast brings together leading writers and thinkers for lively,…
Nicolas Niarchos & Alex Perry: Blood & Oil
We’re all aware of the environmental cost of using fossil fuels to power our lives, but the human and cultural impact is arguably just as…Scott Anderson: King of Kings
In 1978, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the Shah of Iran, entertained US President Jimmy Carter in Tehran where they congratulated themselves on a…