Neoliberalism governs our economies, public services, environment, and even our personal lives – yet many don’t really know what it is. This ideology is so deeply embedded that it feels like an unchangeable force of nature. But is it?

At The Conduit, George Monbiot reveals the hidden history of neoliberalism – how it was deliberately crafted and concealed by those in power – and why it thrives. He will explore how this ideology fuels inequality, weakens democracy, and accelerates climate collapse—and, crucially, how we can fight back.

Led in conversation by Afua Hirsch—award-winning journalist, broadcaster, and author—we will ask: Is there an alternative? Can we imagine a new system worth fighting for? Join us for a vital conversation on how we reclaim our future from an ideology that never wanted to be seen.

Event Schedule

7:00pm: Pre-event socialising and networking

A cash bar will be available for refreshments.

7:30pm: Event begins

8:45pm: Event ends

Speakers:

George Monbiot is an author, Guardian columnist and environmental campaigner. His best-selling books include Feral: Rewilding the Land, Sea and Human Life and Heat: How We Can Stop the Planet Burning; his latest is Regenesis: Feeding the World without Devouring the Planet.

George cowrote the concept album Breaking the Spell of Loneliness with musician Ewan McLennan, and has made a number of viral videos. One of them, adapted from his 2013 TED talk, How Wolves Change Rivers, has been viewed on YouTube over 40 million times. Another, on Natural Climate Solutions, which he co-presented with Greta Thunberg, has been watched over 60 million times.

Afua Hirsch is a writer, filmmaker, and journalist. She is the author of Brit(ish), the Sunday Times bestselling book that explores Britishness, identity and belonging, for which she was awarded the Royal Society of Literature Jerwood Prize for Non-Fiction. She co-presented Enslaved, a 6-part series about the transatlantic slave trade with Samuel L Jackson. She is also the presenter of the Audible podcast series We Need To Talk About the British Empire, and Africa Rising, an ongoing flagship series about art and culture for the BBC, through the production company she founded, Born in Me Productions. She is a longtime columnist for the Guardian and is a professor of journalism at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles.