Big Ideas

Conversations, Lectures & Debate

Over the years we’ve hosted lectures, conversations, debates and discussions with some of the region’s, and the world’s, greatest minds on a huge range of topics such as human rights, race, the environment, press freedom, political leadership and so much more. In this collection, you can hear from experts and creative-thinkers on a range of thought-provoking and engaging topics, covering history to current affairs.

Translating the Past

Speakers:

Barbara Lalla, Nicholas Laughlin, Patience Agbabi

Recorded:

1 May 2015

Format:

Podcast

Synopsis:

Colonised by foreign invaders, forced to speak a new language, resisting a predatory ruling class — is this medieval England, or the modern Caribbean? Or both? Poet Patience Agbabi and novelist-scholar Barbara Lalla discuss how medieval authors like Chaucer relate to 21st-century Caribbean concerns; moderated by Nicholas Laughlin.