For the past 20 years, Pankaj Mishra has written incisive studies of a world marked by inequalities and the effects of globalisation. He has traced global histories of fascism, the impacts of rising nationalism and applied an astute lens to the fragility of our democratic institutions.   

Now, he sets his expert mind to the war in Gaza.  

Garnering praise from the likes of Rashid Khalidi, Naomi Klein and Hisham Matar, Mishra’s latest work, The World After Gaza, reckons with the latest devastating conflict in the Middle East and how the world’s balance of power is shifting. He joins host Antony Loewenstein as they explore the moral and geopolitical ramifications at stake during this polarising historical moment.

This event was recorded on Wednesday 26 February 2025 at The Wheeler Centre.

The official bookseller was Paperback Bookshop.

Featured music is ‘Living in a Fantasy’ by Pulsed.

For the past 20 years, Pankaj Mishra has written incisive studies of a world marked by inequalities and the effects of globalisation. He has traced global histories of fascism, the impacts of rising nationalism and applied an astute lens to the fragility of our democratic institutions.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Now, he sets his expert mind to the war in Gaza.&nbsp;&nbsp;
Garnering praise from the likes of Rashid Khalidi, Naomi Klein and Hisham Matar, Mishra&rsquo;s latest work, The World After Gaza, reckons with the latest devastating conflict in the Middle East and how the world&rsquo;s balance of power is shifting. He joins host Antony Loewenstein as they explore the moral and geopolitical ramifications at stake during this polarising historical moment.
This event was recorded on Wednesday 26 February 2025 at The Wheeler Centre. The official bookseller was Paperback Bookshop.
Featured music is &lsquo;Living in a Fantasy&rsquo; by Pulsed.

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Pankaj Mishra: The World After Gaza

At 13, Kate Reid already knew exactly where she was headed: a career in Formula 1 and a life lived at full throttle. But after earning a degree in aerospace engineering and taking up a coveted position at one of the top F1 teams in the UK, she discovered that the reality didn’t match what she’d dreamed. So, she made a swerve no one expected: to forge a career in pastry. 

With her Melbourne-born bakery Lune Croissanterie now famous worldwide, Reid sits down to reflect on her unique path, from initially pursuing aerospace engineering at RMIT University, to following her lifelong passion for F1 racing, to finding fame as the mastermind behind ‘the best croissant in the world’ (The New York Times). 

Join Reid as she discusses perfection, obsession and making her own kind of success story, with host Alice Zaslavsky.  

 

At 13, Kate Reid already knew exactly where she was headed: a career in Formula 1 and a life lived at full throttle. But after earning a degree in aerospace engineering and taking up a coveted position at one of the top F1 teams in the UK, she discovered that the reality didn&rsquo;t match what she&rsquo;d dreamed. So, she made a swerve no one expected: to forge a career in pastry.&nbsp;
With her Melbourne-born bakery Lune Croissanterie now famous worldwide, Reid sits down to reflect on her unique path, from initially pursuing aerospace engineering at RMIT University, to following her lifelong passion for F1 racing, to finding fame as the mastermind behind &lsquo;the best croissant in the world&rsquo; (The New York Times).&nbsp;
Join Reid as she discusses perfection, obsession and making her own kind of success story, with host Alice Zaslavsky.&nbsp;&nbsp;
&nbsp;

Kate Reid: On Fast Cars and Croissants

Hear Omar El Akkad discuss his searing work, 'One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This' with host Tasneem Chopra.

Sparked by his viral tweet during the bombardment of Gaza – viewed over 10 million times – Omar El Akkad’s 'One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This' lays bare the fractures he has seen in the West’s empty promises of freedom and justice. 

In this timely session, the Egyptian-Canadian novelist and journalist reflects on how events like the Black Lives Matter protests, the escalating climate crisis and the violence in the Middle East have reshaped his understanding of migration, power and inequality and forced him to confront what it means to live in a West that has betrayed its fundamental values.  

Praised by Richard Flanagan as ‘a howl from the heart of our age’, El Akkad’s book explores exactly how the West has failed and offers hope for a way forward.

Originally presented on Wednesday 22 October 2025 by The Wheeler Centre.

The official bookseller was Amplify Bookstore.

Featured music is 'City Phases' by John Abbot.

Hear Omar El Akkad discuss his searing work, 'One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This' with host Tasneem Chopra.
Sparked by his viral tweet during the bombardment of Gaza &ndash; viewed over 10 million times &ndash; Omar El Akkad&rsquo;s 'One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This' lays bare the fractures he has seen in the West&rsquo;s empty promises of freedom and justice.&nbsp;
In this timely session, the Egyptian-Canadian novelist and journalist reflects on how events like the Black Lives Matter protests, the escalating climate crisis and the violence in the Middle East have reshaped his understanding of migration, power and inequality and forced him to confront what it means to live in a West that has betrayed its fundamental values.&nbsp;&nbsp;
Praised by Richard Flanagan as &lsquo;a howl from the heart of our age&rsquo;, El Akkad&rsquo;s book explores exactly how the West has failed and offers hope for a way forward.
Originally presented on Wednesday 22 October 2025 by The Wheeler Centre.
The official bookseller was Amplify Bookstore.
Featured music is 'City Phases' by John Abbot.

One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This

Hear from Atlantic culture critic and Pulitzer Prize-nominated writer Sophie Gilbert as she discusses her new book 'Girl on Girl' with host Kate Jinx. They dive into the pop cultural forces of the late 1990s and Y2K era that shaped and warped women's relationships with themselves and other women. 

Casting her eye across pop culture of the past 30 years, she tackles everything from Madonna, the Spice Girls and the Kardashians, to MySpace, the #GirlBoss movement and The Simple Life. In this new book, Gilbert reveals the cultural forces that shaped a generation and laid the groundwork for the misogyny of today. 

In this conversation, Gilbert discusses how millennial pop culture twisted feminism into objectification, the insidious power of media narratives and the pervasive influence of porn, and her own experience of growing up during these defining decades.

Originally recorded on Tuesday 21 October 2025 at The Wheeler Centre.

The official bookseller was The Sun Bookshop.

Featured music is 'No One There' by Ava Low.

Hear from Atlantic culture critic and Pulitzer Prize-nominated writer Sophie Gilbert as she discusses her new book 'Girl on Girl' with host Kate Jinx. They dive into the pop cultural forces of the late 1990s and Y2K era that shaped and warped women's relationships with themselves and other women. Casting her eye across pop culture of the past 30 years, she tackles everything from Madonna, the Spice Girls and the Kardashians, to MySpace, the #GirlBoss movement and The Simple Life. In this new book, Gilbert reveals the cultural forces that shaped a generation and laid the groundwork for the misogyny of today. In this conversation, Gilbert discusses how millennial pop culture twisted feminism into objectification, the insidious power of media narratives and the pervasive influence of porn, and her own experience of growing up during these defining decades. Originally recorded on Tuesday 21 October 2025 at The Wheeler Centre. The official bookseller was The Sun Bookshop. Featured music is 'No One There' by Ava Low.

Pankaj Mishra: The World After Gaza

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