In this lively interview series from the RSA, Matthew Taylor, puts a range of practitioners on the spot - from scholars to business leaders, politicians to journalists - by asking for big ideas to help build effective bridges to our new future. 

The good old days? They never existed. That's  according to the historian, Hannah Rose Woods, in her new book, 'Rule, Nostalgia: A Backwards History of Britain'. From Brexiteers yearning for a lost imperial past to sixteenth-century observers looking back wistfully to a 'Merry England' before the upheavals of the Reformation, Hannah joins Matthew to explain why each age is oddly nostalgic for the previous one. 

Hannah Rose Woods is a writer and cultural historian. She has a PhD from the University of Cambridge, where she taught modern British history, and in 2016 captained her college's team to victory on the BBC quiz show, University Challenge. She has written on history, politics and culture for the New Statesman, the Guardian, History Today, Art UK and Elle magazine. Her latest book is, "Rule, Nostalgia: A Backwards History of Britain". 

A Tempo & Talker production for the RSA. 

In this time of global change, strong communities and initiatives that bring people together are more invaluable than ever before. The RSA Fellowship is a global network of problem solvers. We invite you to join our community today to stay connected, inspired and motivated in the months ahead. 

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