The Light of Asia: A History of Western Fascination with the East is the new book from New Generation Thinker and historian Christopher Harding. In Passions of the Soul, the former Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams looks at the classics of Eastern Christian writing. At Compton Verney in Warwickshire, the artist Gayle Chong Kwan is preparing to unveil ‘shrines’ made up of newly cast bronze offerings, incorporating references to Chinese, Taoist and Buddhist cultures, as well as focusing on ideas around food, soil and the body. Rana Mitter hosts the conversation.
Producer: Julian Siddle
The Taotie runs at Compton Verney from 21 March 2024 – 31 March 2026 On the Free Thinking programme website you can find more collections of conversations exploring religious belief, and South and East Asian culture
Prize Winners 2023
Harry Belafonte
Margaret Cavendish
Narnia and CS Lewis
Humboldt, soil, gardens and Frank Walter
New Thinking: Disability in Music and Theatre
Kadare, Gospodinov, Kafka and Dickens
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AS Byatt and The Children's Book
Post-War Germany
Sam Selvon and The Lonely Londoners
New Thinking: Rediscovering women making film and sculpture
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New Thinking: The Box Office Bears project
New Thinking: How and why we talk
The Imperial War Museum Remembrance discussion 2023
New Thinking: Playhouses and opera-going
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