The Convex Conversation

Human rights journalist Zahra Joya shares her powerful story of survival growing up in Afghanistan under Taliban rule in the nineties, disguising herself as a boy to go to school.  

After the US-led invasion, her world flourished. But when the Taliban regained power in 2021, women were once again erased from public life. Zahra was airlifted from Kabul to London where she lives in exile running Rukhshana Media - an agency dedicated to amplifying stories of Afghan women. 

Activist Malala Yousafzai describes Zahra’s new book, The Vanishing Girl of Kabul, as a memoir that doubles as a warning. Co-written with journalist Amie Ferris-Rotman, it’s a clarion call to a world too willing to look away from gender-based oppression.

Zahra attending school dressed as a boy

Zahra's father

Zahra with journalist friend & co-author of The Vanishing Girl of Kabul, Amie Ferris-Rotman

Almost downing aged six was a catalyst for a life of conformity, shaped by inner fear. Vicki Anstey bravely went in search of who she really was aged 40, leaving a controlling marriage and successful business behind, and unexpectedly became a world record-breaking adventurer. 

Vicki pushed herself to the limit in SAS Who Dares Wins, rowed the Pacific unsupported, tackled marathons in the frozen Arctic and sweltering heat of the desert but stresses you don’t have to go to extreme lengths to find yourself and make change. It can be one small step at a time.

In Vicki’s candid memoir – Other People are Like the Weather – she shares her epic adventures and offers practical steps to help us stop managing the forecast and start mastering ourselves.

Steve Perry – Head of Delivery at Convex Insurance – was shocked when he won the company’s Dream Pitch. His idea - to join forces with friends and colleagues to cycle the entire coastline of Great Britain in a single day. 

Starting simultaneously from locations across England, Scotland and Wales, the 120-strong team completed the challenge – thought to be a first - using GPS trackers and covering more than 7,000 kilometres.

Steve divvied up the coastline into different length rides – all varied in terms of terrain, scenery and difficulty – and every mile covered raised vital funds for Alzheimer’s Research UK.

As the Festival of Speed kicks off at Goodwood in Sussex, the 11th Duke of Richmond reveals how and why he created it in 1993, and how it’s grown into the world’s greatest celebration of motor sport. 

F1 champions like Lando Norris, Valentino Rossi and Damon Hill will be joined by the Andretti family and astronaut Tim Peake – just some of the names to look out for this year. 

Charles recounts stories from his youth, including a joyride in his mum’s MG on the now famous Hill Climb aged 16, which ended in hospital. His Grace credits his grandfather – a motor sport pioneer, aviator, driver and engineer who reopened the Goodwood Motor Circuit in 1948 - for inspiring his passion for beautiful cars, speed and racing. 

The Duke of Richmond at the 2022 Festival of Speed, photographed by Jonathan James Wilson

The Duke of Richmond, captured at Goodwood by Uli Weber 

Photograph by Uli Weber 

Recording The Convex Conversation in His Grace's office at Goodwood House

Over 24 years, British diplomat Ian Proud became one of the most accomplished crisis experts in the Foreign Office, dealing with global emergencies like the Bali Bombing, Salisbury poisonings and 911.

He talks openly about the Post Traumatic Stress Disorder he suffered as Head of the Political Section in Thailand after being one of the first on the scene of the Boxing Day Tsunami and how he believes his PTSD was caused by feeling abandoned by the British Government.

Ian’s new book, Searching, is a fictional love story set in the aftermath of the 2004 tsunami – cathartic and emotional to write. Ian hosts The Peacemonger podcast which examines foreign affairs and geopolitical issues, and the need to get back to diplomacy. 

Friqtao, the Paris-born pianist known for spontaneous performances in train stations, went viral when he started sharing his music on socials, striking a chord with more than 3.5 million TikTok followers.

Wearing his signature beanie and headphones and inspired by all kinds of culture including Japanese Ghibli films, the 24-year-old morphs pop and hip-hop, posting his own compositions and covers by artists like Kanye West and Harry Styles.

Friqtao has played by ear since he was five. He’s on tour in the States in the autumn, has ambitions to write film scores and dreams of opening his own piano schools in major cities to make learning more accessible.

Cally Beaton reveals how a chance conversation with the late, great Joan Rivers led to her leaving her high-flying career in TV & film and multi-million-pound contracts behind for the unpredictable life of a comedian. 

Cally was 50 when she quit the boardroom at ViacomCBS. As a single mum of two, it was a huge risk but she quickly became one of the most exciting stand ups on the comedy circuit, appearing on shows like Live at the Apollo and QI.

Seven years on, she’s touring her one-woman show 'Namaste Mother F**kers' - an unapologetic, irreverent look at midlife – and her debut bestselling book of the same name, based on her radical re-invention, is out now in paperback.  

Reigning Strictly champion Carlos Gu shares his incredible story, from growing up in a remote village in China with dance coursing through his veins, to winning the coveted glitter ball with Lioness Karen Carney. 

Carlos is currently on tour with fellow pro Amy Dowden in their breathtaking show, Amy and Carlos Reborn, and they star in Channel 4’s Celebrity Hunted which goes out on our screens next year.

Carlos says China is where he’s from, but London is his home and the culture here has allowed him to embrace who he is. He’s performing at Asian Pride in London next month.

Gilly explains the compelling science behind how the cold improves our physical and mental wellbeing, what it does to our brains and bodies, and how nature and ice-swimming have helped her through some painful times. You can read more in Gilly's wonderful book, The Beauty of Cold. 

In one of her first interviews, Wing Commander Sasha Nash reveals she’s embracing the challenges in her new role as Officer Commanding of the RAF’s world-famous aerobatic team, The Red Arrows. 

A former front-line Tornado pilot, Sasha is excited about the 2026 display season which will feature seven jets as opposed to the team’s trademark nine, primarily due to the iconic Hawk T1 fast approaching its end of service.

Sasha dreamt of becoming a fast-jet pilot from the age of six – when that wasn’t even an option for women - and is proud to be leading The Reds’ 150-strong team at a time of change.