Latitude announce Literary Arena and Wellcome Trust Hub

Latitude are thrilled to welcome political economist, writer, columnist and former editor-in-chief of The Observer, Will Hutton to the Literary Arena, where he will be discussing how a fundamental social change is required to defeat the anxiety epidemic gripping society today.
 
Bestselling author Ben MacIntyre will be sharing his research behind A Spy Amongst Friends, the definitive biography of Kim Philby, the most notorious British defector and Soviet mole in history. MacIntyre was given unprecedented access to newly released MI5 files, previously unseen family papers, and cooperation of former officers of MI6 and the CIA – unlocking what is perhaps the last great secret of the Cold War.
 
The Victoria & Albert Museum will present a preview of their forthcoming major exhibition You Say You Want a Revolution? Records and Rebels 1966 – 70. Assistant Curator Elisa Bailey will explore the era-defining significance and impact of the late 1960s, expressed through some of the greatest music and performances of the 20th century alongside fashion, film, design and political activism.
 
In a talk entitled From Prince to Punk, Deirdre Murphy, Senior Curator at the Historic Royal Palaces, will talk about fashion’s tribes: each day we dress ourselves, our clothes a marker expressing both our individuality and the group we identify with. Deirdre will explore these ideas across history; the look, the individuals and the idols that have epitomised fashion’s most recognisable tribes.
 
The team behind critical tongue-attractors like Young Avengers and PHONOGRAM, Jamie McKelvie and Kieron Gillen, will be interviewed by journalist Emily Mackay on the inspiration behind their acclaimed contemporary fantasy comic book series The Wicked & The Divine, winner of Best Comic at the 2014 British Comic Awards.
 
Ewen MacAskill, the Guardian’s Defence and Security Correspondent, involved in preparing the Edward Snowden revelations concerning the National Security Agency for publication, will be talking to the Latitude audience about secrets, lies and Edward Snowden.
 
Robin Ince presents The Magick of Art – The Wizardry of Thin White Dukes with Daisy Campbell, Andrew O'Neilland John Constable – a discussion of David Bowie’s final piece of work looking at it both visually and aurally, and how it was the most potent of his career further highlighted by his death three days after the release of Blackstar. His favourite books contained many on art, the occult and magick – are the great creators shamanic? Is art a spell?
 
Stand-up comedian, actress and author Sara Pascoe will be sharing her debut book, Animal: How a Woman is Made, which combines autobiography and evolutionary history to explore how the female body has been oppressed, fetishized and misunderstood throughout history. Another of this year’s multi-talented stand-up comedians joining the Literary Arena is Mark Watson – a familiar face from his appearances on Never Mind the Buzzcocks and Mock the Week – showcasing his latest highly acclaimed thriller, The Place That Didn’t Exist. 
 
In conversation with Sarfraz Manzoor, highly talented scriptwriter, broadcast and comedy writer David Quantickpresents his new comic thriller The Mule, a novel about sex, Paris, murder and an imaginary world.
 
Showcasing her debut cookbook Get the Glow!, nutritional health coach to the stars Madeleine Shaw will demonstrate how eating well can easily become a way of life, resulting in the hottest, healthiest and happiest you. Madeleine's philosophy is simple: ditch the junk and eat foods that heal your gut, so you can shine from head to toe and really get the glow.
 
Latitude also invites Helen Pearson to present her acclaimed book The Life Project: what makes some people happy, healthy and successful – and others not? The factors that most affect our life chances are revealed as the first group of British babies followed in a remarkable cradle-to-grave study turns 70.
 
Standard Issue is bringing some of its smart, funny and brilliant writers to Latitude for a very special event. Join editor Mickey Noonan, deputy editor Hannah Dunleavy, comedians Angela Barnes and Felicity Ward, plus a special guest for a smart and funny hour of chat about comedy, feminism and being a woman in the modern world.  
 
Latitude is thrilled to welcome the Baileys Women’s Prize for Fiction to the festival for the first time, presenting three exciting events hosted by novelist and BWPFF co-founder Kate Mosse. Now in its twenty first year, the Baileys Women’s Prize for Fiction is the UK’s most prestigious annual book award for fiction written by a woman. Set up in 1996 to celebrate and promote international fiction by women throughout the world to the widest range of readers possible, the Prize is awarded for the best novel of the year written by a woman. Any woman writing in English – whatever her nationality, country of residence, age or subject matter – is eligible.
 
The Baileys Prize events at Latitude include: Forgotten Authors – an inspiring panel including former BWPFF longlisted author Emma Healey put forward their favourite forgotten literary treasures – the female authors they feel have fallen out of fashion and should be returned to the spotlight; Women and Power – author Naomi Alderman, comedian and writer Sara Pascoe, award-winning campaigner Leyla Hussein and  Amy Annette (editor of I call myself a Feminist) discuss the new feminism and issues around women and power; and back by popular demand following their appearance at the Baileys Prize Pop-Up Book Bar earlier this year, actors James Rastall and Tori Allen-Martin read from the six books shortlisted for the 2016 Baileys Women’s Prize for Fiction in their own inimitable style. 
 
The Literary Arena also hosts Ruth and Martin’s Album Club, that will see an invited guest choose an album they’ve never listened to, laying out any potential prejudice the guest will listen to the album at least three times, leading to a discussion: was it worth it or not?
 
Radio 4’s Viv Groskop brings her hilarious new work-in-progress Be More Margo to Latitude, taking a look at snobbery, class, Britishness and The Good Life, fuelled entirely by gin. Should we be classless now that we're "all in it together"? Or is it time to assert our inner reactionary and Be More Margo?
 
Also in the Literary Arena, Latitude will present a series of talks supported by the Wellcome Trust – a global charitable foundation dedicated to improving health by supporting bright minds in science, the humanities and social sciences, and public engagement.
 
In a discussion spanning devastating brain trauma, psychogenic disease and mental illness, hear from Wellcome Book Prize 2016’s winner and shortlisted authors talking to 2016 judge and writer, Sathnam Sanghera. In a  discussion spanning devastating brain trauma, psychogenic disease and mental illness, hear from 2016 Winner Suzanne O’Sullivan, on It’s All in Your Head, a compassionate study of the real suffering caused by psychosomatic illness; Cathy Rentzenbrink on her powerful memoir about the death of her brother, The Last Act of Love; and Alex Pheby on Playthings, a fictional take on one of Freud’s most influential psychological case studies: Daniel Schreber.
 
This year Salon London, with support from the Wellcome Trust, present four Salon London events in the Literary Arena:
 
In Salon London: Love Thy Neighbour: Feast of Strangers showcases Prof Theodore Zeldin (Oxford) on the ways in which conversation with a stranger might contribute to radical social change, inviting the Latitude audience to take part in his Feast of Strangers and have a structured conversation with someone they don’t know; and theRefugee Choir will perform a new piece by leading UK vocal coach, Juliet Russell.
 
Salon London: Love Thy Neighbour: The Rewards will feature Dr Molly Crockett (Oxford) on the advanced altruism of Festival Goers; neurobiologist Dr Carsten De Dreu (Amsterdam) on the brain’s response to competitive vs cooperative ways of thinking; and Prof Tim Lewens (Cambridge) on the science behind a big question: is human nature fundamentally good?
 
Salon London: Love Thy Neighbour: The Dark Side presents Prof Christopher French (Goldsmiths) on how we use the paranormal to understand others; Salon London & Redstone Press’s Psycho Games will bring an interactive tour of the scientific games used in 20th Century psychological evaluation; and Dr Gustav Kuhn(Goldsmiths) on the psychology of magic and why we are so easily deceived.
 
Salon London: Social Standing and Your Health will feature Sir Prof Michael Marmot (UCL), whose 40 years of research on health inequalities has the potential to radically change the way we think about health equity and society, and Prof Danny Dorling (Oxford) on how the way the all-so-powerful 1% live affects us all, and how, and why, we can redress the balance between us.
 
The Porn Perspective panel explores the ways we interact with and our consumption of pornography: neuroscientist and broadcaster Dr Jack Lewis is joined by former editor of Loaded and teen educator on the potential dangers of online pornography Martin Daubney, plus Christopher Green, a performer whose work has explored sex and addiction, all chaired by Dr Suzi Gage (Bristol), who has provided a counter point to Dr Philip Zimbardo's work theorising a crisis in masculinity caused by a cyberspace of video games and pornography.
 
Also joining the line up in the Literary Arena is author of NHS foundation’s Be Mindful report Ed Halliwell. Ed will be introducing his new book Into the Heart of Mindfulness: Finding a Way of Well-being, in which he takes the reader on a journey into the heart of mindfulness. With practical advice, taster exercises and a refreshing honesty, Ed will explore how opening to and working with the realities of our minds, bodies and day-to-day existence – rather than striving for positive results – can, paradoxically, help us rediscover a richly nourishing, deeply textured life.
 
Festival of Spoken Nerd – the science comedy phenomenon that will feed your brain, tickle your ribs and light your Bunsen burner will be engaging the Latitude audience in the Literary  Arena. Full Frontal Nerdity guaranteed! The trio of stand-up mathematician Matt Parker, experiments maestro Steve Mould and geek songstress Helen Arney, will be mixing astonishing science with statistically significant comedy, plus experiments that will electrify the Latitude audience – sometimes literally!
 
We will also host a live podcast recording of Level Up Human – a Wellcome supported podcast with a unique mission – to make humans better. The podcast will be led by Simon Watt: biologist, comedian and TV presenter, best known for the BAFTA winning Inside Nature’s Giants and Channel 4's The Elephant: Life After Death. Simon will be joined by comic Elf Lyons, QI researcher and author Stevyn Colgan.
 
The Wellcome Trust Hub, supported by Wellcome Trust, will once again host a variety of incredible discussions, debates and performances this year, exploring the neurosciences that affect your health, happiness and interactions with those around you.
 
Does happiness affect our health? Are the cells of your body aware of your mood swings and nagging doubts? It turns out that the immune system are surprisingly sensitive to our emotions. In The Immune System, Health and Happiness, find out more from Dr. Pippa Kennedy, a research scientist from the Manchester Collaborative Centre for Inflammation Research.
 
What is fun? How is it distinct from happiness or pleasure? How do we know when we are having it? In TheSociology & Psychology of Fun, Dr Bree Macdonald (Chartered Highly Specialist Clinical Psychologist) and Dr Ben Fincham, author of The Sociology of Fun, will be discussing how we want to have fun and who determines the fun we have.
 
In his new book, The Idiot Brain, Guardian science blogger and neuroscientist Dr Dean Burnett explores the most inefficient, bizarre and irrational workings of the human brain. Join him and Infinite Monkey Cage host Robin Incefor a light-hearted look at the how the illogical workings of our brains can affect our everyday world, including the psychology of superstition, the neuroscience of sleep, how tall people are more intelligent and why a glass of wine might improve our memory. In The Science of the Self/ie, artist Meg Mosley (aka Megastar) teams up with Dr James Kilner, Head of Neuroscience at UCL, to further explore the psychology behind the selfie.
 
In Keeping Up With the Joneses, the panel will discuss social behaviours that might be caused by our perception of those around us, and crucially, how we believe they perceive us. Dr Valerie Voon (Wellcome Trust Intermediate Clinical Fellow, University of Cambridge) will talk about impulsive control disorder, with more panellists to be announced.

Editor of The Psychologist, Professor Jon Sutton will be in conversation with Professor Elizabeth Stokoe,discussing How To Talk So People Listen. We live our lives through talk. We build, maintain and end relationships. We buy and sell. We are excited, embarrassed and consoled in response to things others say. By collecting thousands of recordings ‘in the wild’ – from first dates to neighbour disputes – Professor Elizabeth Stokoe has found that talk is highly organised. In conversation with Dr Jon Sutton, she draws on this evidence to show how to talk so people listen.
 
The Wellcome Trust Hub also presents Loneliness with Prof Carsten De Dreu (Amsterdam), on the social and neurobiological mechanisms we have, designed to work and co-operate with others, and what happens to us psychologically when we have no one with whom to co-operate, along with Stuart Evers, author of the acclaimedTen Stories about Smoking and new book, Your Father Sends His Love, chaired by Jo Griffin, journalist and author of the acclaimed The Lonely Society for The Mental Health Foundation.
 
Your Food, Your Mood: Real Food & Gut Health will feature professor of Genetic Epidemiology Prof Tim Spector (KCL), who conducted the biggest ever experiment in to gut health and its effect on health and mental health: it turns out your biome (the microbes in your stomach) could hold all the keys. In Cure: A Journey into the Science of Mind over Body, science writer Jo Marchant will provide a rigorous, sceptical, deeply reported discussion of the new science behind the mind's surprising ability to heal the body. 
 
The Biology of Morality will provide an in depth look at the human’s relationship with altruism with psychotherapistDr Molly Crockett who studies the neuroscience and psychology of altruism, morality and self-control, in conversation with Dr Tim Lewens, Professor of Philosophy of Science at the University of Cambridge, where he is also Deputy Director of CRASSH – the Centre for Research in Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities.
 
Science Gallery London’s No Pain, No Gain? invites scientists to explore pain, what it is and how we perceive it, and also how our relationship with pain shapes our experiences (for better or worse!). In The Science of Snogging, Science Gallery London invite the Latitude audience to open wide, to delve into the orifice and think about what is really involved in a kiss. Rosie Wilby and Amie Taylor take their audiences through a series of short comedic, fun and fast paced performance lectures exploring the science, history and anthropology behind kissing, with help from Dr Rebecca Babb. You’ll never think about a kiss in the same way again!
 
Latitude is extremely proud to announce that Scotland’s new national poet Jackie Kay – who was awarded an MBE for her services to literature in 2006 – will be joining the stellar line-up already announced in this year’s Poetry Arena. The highly acclaimed Kay draws upon her unconventional upbringing in her work, documenting her own struggles with selfhood in her writing.
 
Poet in the City will also be joining this year’s Poetry line-up. An arts organisation which promotes a love of poetry to their audiences, Poet in the City will provide a dynamic platform to contemporary poets, curate imaginative and exciting themed events as well as bringing classic poetry to life for a 21st century audience. At Latitude they will present a programme of poets and the links between poetry & activism with guest Jack Monroe.
 
Further poetry acts announced today include rapper, multi-instrumentalist and sometime singer Dizraeli, who has taken hip-hop to new terrains, and will be thrilling the Latitude crowd along with Nigerian poet, English teacher and a member of the SXWKS collective Caleb Femi, whose work is often described as vivid, honest and delivered with an essence of musicality whilst touching on issues involving assimilation, memory, displacement, education, gang culture and its treatment in the media. Andy Bennett has been performing stand up poetry for half a decade, and  will be delighting audiences with his wilfully shambolic style that belies a cerebral and acerbic wit, and an honest and celebratory approach to life and performance.
 
Hosted by award winning children’s poet Laura Mucha, join us for some fantastic characters, stories and rhymes in new writing inspired by Roald Dahl’s Revolting Rhymes, in celebration of 100 years since his birth. Dahl re-interpreted well-known fairy tales, replacing the traditional happily-ever-after with his own alternative endings, and now, some of Latitude’s best-loved poets – Rosie Carrick, Jemima Foxtrot and Andy Bennett – will do the same, turning well known stories on their head.
 
And finally, writer for Sunday Times, Telegraph, Elle, Red, Tank, The Numinous and more, Lisa Luxx will also be joining the Poetry Arena line up performing her work based on the existential crisis of the net generation, politics of queerdom, female sexuality, psychedelic philosophy and explorations of mental health.
 
Home Live Art returns to The Faraway Forest with the ever-changing and unexpected Home Live Art Exchange. Pop by and you may find a utopian world of your own making, an opportunity to swap woes with a friend or even the rare chance to truly understand your neighbours. What happens here depends on what you bring – whether it’s sharing thoughts, dreaming of the future, partaking in games, songs, conversations or meaningful quests, whatever happens it’s on your terms. Come and go, or stay and play. Twice Shy Theatre will also appear in The Faraway Forest this year, using their challenging and innovative theatre and live art to bring creative minds together in support and discussion.
 
Latitude are also delighted that The Reading Agency will be returning to Latitude, a charity whose mission is to inspire more people to read, encourage the enjoyment of reading, and celebrating the difference that it makes to all our lives.
 
Dylan’s Mobile Bookstore will once again return to Pandora’s Playground, promising to feed your need to read. The words on wheels experience, specialising in books associated with Wales and Dylan Thomas, has been quite literally spreading the words. Selling a wide range of books, including used, rare, fine and antiquarian they offer a space on the bus for mini readings and signing sessions with performers from the festival, and welcome people aboard to browse, hang out, chat, listen to poetry and appreciate the simple pleasures of reading.
 
The Shed of Stories will again play host to a heady mix of exciting authors, ground-breaking artists and important voices, including Commute Blog who will reveal the true identities of London commuters one photo at a time, touching upon this year’s theme ‘Love Thy Neighbour’.
 
Award-winning short story writer and novelist Lisa Blower will present her novel Sitting Ducks, which follows the intransigent, courageous Minton family’s battle against the predatory landlord during the 2010 General Election – a novel that will have you laughing out loud then raging at the page. The Shed of Stories also welcomes the highly acclaimed John Osborne, performing from Birthdays!
 
Esses & DeMesa will be bringing their contemporary theatre game about immigration, art and democracy Dis Placeto the Shed of Stories, asking: Who can stay? Are you ready to play? It’s London, 2021. Post EU Referendum and the British People have voted to stay out of Europe and deport most immigrants. Ten foreign artists squat in the basement of The Glory, only one will be allowed to stay in the country. The choice is in the hands of you – the Latitude audience – and your leaders.

And finally, following their performance in the Little House, the Young Vic presents a workshop with Gbolahan Obisesan, Director of Cuttin’ It, the incredibly emotive play from award-winning playwright Charlene James, tackling the urgent issue of FGM in Britain and the price some girls pay to become a woman. It’s a piece that encourages the audience to look more closely at the lives of those around them and to raise awareness of a deeply affecting procedure, and the discussion and workshop offers a rare chance for the audience to engage directly with the theatre maker.