Throughout history we have found ways to regulate human behaviour through the threat of social exclusion. But while the idea of ‘cancellation’ is not new, the online sphere has radically shifted the way we hold people to account and punish perceived wrongdoing. 

Is redemption possible in the digital age? And can narratives of growth and forgiveness help us shift the power from condemnation to compassion? What does ‘forgiveness’ look like in the digital age? 

 

David Baddiel is an accomplished comedian, author, screenwriter and television presenter. His works include the Sunday Times Politics Book of The Year – his polemic Jews Don’t Count, and The God Desire.

Roxane Gay is an author whose works include Ayiti, An Untamed State, The New York Times’ bestselling Bad Feminist, and The New York Times’ bestselling Hunger: A Memoir of My Body and the nationally bestselling Opinions: A Decade of Arguments, Criticism, and Minding Other People’s Business.

Andy Mills is an American reporter and podcast producer who co-created The Daily at The New York Times, Reflector and several documentary series including Rabbit Hole and The Witch Trials of J.K. Rowling.

Megan Phelps-Roper is an author and podcast producer who left a life of religious extremism in 2012. She has spent the past decade using her experiences to work with schools on anti-bullying campaigns, with law enforcement organisations investigating deradicalisation, and with tech companies on the intersection of safety, free speech, and the value of dialogue across ideological divides. She hosted and produced The Witch Trials of J.K. Rowling.

Chaired by philosopher, Tim Dean.