Listen to the debate from the Battle of Ideas 2018 festival at the Barbican in London on Sunday 14 October (www.battleofideas.org.uk).

Novelist Lionel Shriver isn’t afraid of speaking her mind. At the 2016 Brisbane Writers Festival, she caused a furore by calling into question the contemporary focus on identity politics, saying ‘I hope the concept of cultural appropriation is a passing fad’. More recently, she was accused of racism when arguing that diversity quotas in publishing mean literary excellence becomes secondary to ticking boxes. As well as a staunch defender of intellectual freedom, Shriver is perhaps better known as a multiple award-winning author. How difficult is it to criticise identity politics in today’s climate? Is diversity in the arts something to aspire to or should we focus on the content of what’s being published, rather than the writer?

CLAIRE FOX

IN CONVERSATION WITH

LIONEL SHRIVER

Listen to the debate from the Battle of Ideas 2018.

In the past few years, remotely piloted air systems and unmanned air systems – commonly called ‘drones’ or ‘multicopters’ – have become widely popular. A relative lack of regulation until recently has meant that drones are still a controversial if exciting new technology, and society is undecided how best to deal with the challenges they pose. But will the danger of excessive regulation and the attention given to a new technology when problems arise mean we never get those benefits? How do we deal with concerns about safety and ethics, while ensuring we create an environment that allows the exciting promise of this technology to be implemented? Will a wider mood of risk-aversion keep drones firmly on the ground?

SPEAKERS

Dr Owen McAree

Dr Sophie Robinson

Alastair Muir

Donald Clark

CHAIR: Timandra Harkness

Our partners for this session were NATS.

A recording of the debate at the Battle of Ideas 2018 on Sunday 14 October at the Barbican, London.

Today, everything seems to be an expression of contemporary ‘narcissism’, from dismissing millennials as Generation Me to describing Donald Trump as the ‘narcissist in chief’. It seems your boss or co-workers, everyone on Tinder, celebrities, even your parents are all ‘narcissists’. But has it become a lazy cliché? Or is it an accurate diagnosis of today’s identity-driven politics, which puts the self and self-esteem centre stage? Why do we reach so quickly for therapeutic categories to understand politics? Why has the idea of narcissism become so pervasive?

SPEAKERS

DR GRAEME ARCHER

DR BETH GUILDING

CAROLINE MACFARLAND

JACOB REYNOLDS

CHAIR: DR TIFFANY JENKINS

Adam Rawcliffe is joined by Alastair Donald, Geoff Kidder, Rob Lyons and Jacob Reynolds to reflect on the final matches of World Cup 2018 and the tournament as a whole.

Were France worthy winners? What do the team think about the controversial penalty awarded in the final - and the VAR system that enabled the decision? Who was the player of the tournament? Why did England fail to reach the final and how should we assess the team's performance? Was the tournament a success?

Adam Rawcliffe is joined by Alastair Donald, Jacob Reynolds and Hilary Salt to discuss France's semi-final victory over Belgium, England's prospects in their semi-final against Croatia, and the use of football to make political points, from the importance of diversity to rediscovering national pride amid the Brexit negotiations.

Adam Rawcliffe is joined by Geoff Kidder, Rob Lyons and Jacob Reynolds to discuss England's prospects in the quarter-final against Sweden, the pick of the last-16 games, who might progress to the semi-finals and the reaction to England's win over Colombia.

[Apologies for the sound of birds tweeting in the background - it's keep-the-windows-open weather!]

Adam Rawcliffe is joined by Alastair Donald, Geoff Kidder and Rob Lyons to discuss the latest from Russia 2018.

What do the team think about England's dull defeat to Belgium? Have England landed themselves an easier path to the final? Is it right to celebrate Germany's exit? Which are the standout games in the round of 16? And were FIFA right to criticise both players and supporters for 'political' gestures and chants?

Adam Rawcliffe is joined by David Bowden and Geoff Kidder to look back on the first week of World Cup 2018. Has it been a success so far? Which teams have made a good impression - and which of the big teams need to be worried? How have England done so far and what has been the mood in the country as we enjoy wall-to-wall football?

Adam Rawcliffe is joined by Geoff Kidder and Rob Lyons to discuss the fallout from the sacking of Spain's manager, their picks for who might win the tournament, the arguments over Russia hosting the World Cup and whether England can defy expectations and do well.

To mark the publication of his new book, 'How Fear Works: Culture of Fear for the 21st Century', we present this interview, conducted in May 2018 for Claire Fox's Love Sport Radio show, Fox News Friday.