A.C. Grayling 'The Legacy of a Complex Man' (2016 Event)

Best known for sci-fi novels such as The Time Machine and The Invisible Man, H G Wells also wrote numerous non-fiction works. His wide-ranging ideas pre-dated many modern concerns, including the internet and the black civil rights movement. Yet Wells was also capable of deeply unpalatable beliefs, including his advocacy of eugenics. In this lecture recorded live at the 2016 Edinburgh International Book Festival, philosopher A C Grayling explores the intellectual legacy of a complex man.

Loading the player... if your browser supports audio and video it should appear in a few moments.
Download MP3

Book Festival News

Celebrating the 2024 Book Festival Celebrating the 2024 Book Festival
Monday 26 August

Enjoying this event? You can help us produce more like it.

Donate

Share

Listen to more

Charlie Adlard & Robbie Morrison (2014 event) Charlie Adlard & Robbie Morrison (2014 event) Graphic novel dream team Charlie Adlard and Robbie Morrison came to Edinburgh to talk about White Death, a frank graphic novel account of two dead bodies discovered almost 100 years on which highlights how snow was used as a military weapon. In this event… Sean Borodale & Ruth Padel (2018 Event) Sean Borodale & Ruth Padel (2018 Event) The exceptional emotional breadth of British poetry is on display in this event featuring Sean Borodale and Ruth Padel, recorded live at the 2018 Edinburgh International Book Festival. Borodale, described by Carol Ann Duffy as ‘the most exciting new… Candice Carty-Williams & Annaleese Jochems at the Edinburgh International Book Festival Candice Carty-Williams & Annaleese Jochems at the Edinburgh International Book Festival Meet two authors chronicling the off-kilter experiences of upbeat millennials. Candice Carty-Williams’s novel Queenie sees a Jamaican British woman search for identity. Jojo Moyes called it ‘brilliant, timely, funny, heartbreaking’… Edna O'Brien with Andrew O'Hagan (2011 event) Edna O'Brien with Andrew O'Hagan (2011 event) 'I'm very grateful for Ireland,' said Edna O'Brien in a recent interview. 'It stirs things up in me.' O'Brien came to Edinburgh to discuss her latest book, Saints and Sinners, which includes several stories set in her beloved home country… Holly Baxter & Rhiannon Cosslett (2014 event) Holly Baxter & Rhiannon Cosslett (2014 event) The Vagenda Blog creators, young journalists Rhiannon Cosslett and Holly Baxter discuss the site, their campaigning new book and how they turn a cacophony of negativity about women into something incredibly positive… Julia Neuberger talks to Richard Holloway at the Edinburgh International Book Festival Julia Neuberger talks to Richard Holloway at the Edinburgh International Book Festival It’s clear that antisemitism remains a problem for British society. But recent headlines have brought more confusion than clarity in debates about the definition of what is understood by the word ‘antisemitic’. Westminster peer and West… Terry Waite (2015 Event) Terry Waite (2015 Event) As special envoy to the Archbishop of Canterbury, Terry Waite spent plenty of time not only in the company of Robert Runcie, but also his son James. Then, he was kidnapped in Beirut. Upon his release, Waite continued his charity work, befriended his… John Burnside (2017 Event) John Burnside (2017 Event) One of the most acclaimed writers of his generation, poet, memoirist and novelist John Burnside treats us to two new works. The hugely praised Ashland & Vine is the beautifully woven tale of an unlikely friendship between a grieving, semi-alcoholic widow… Chigozie Obioma & Simon Sylvester (2015 Event) Chigozie Obioma & Simon Sylvester (2015 Event) Chigozie Obioma’s thrillingly assured debut novel The Fishermen is set in small-town Nigeria, while Simon Sylvester’s seductive debut The Visitors unfolds on a remote Scottish island. Yet despite their disparate locations, these stories are… Adam Kay (2018 Event) Adam Kay (2018 Event) Working a 97 hour week doesn’t sound much fun for anyone, but when we’re talking about an NHS doctor, such a schedule could become a matter of life and death. In This is Going to Hurt, comedian and ex-junior doctor Adam Kay reflects on the…