London

See a big-name speaker for free

The lowly clerk hungry for self-improvement is a familiar figure in the literature of the early twentieth century. Leonard Bast, in EM Forster’s novel ‘Howards End’, who gorges himself on the works of John Ruskin, is typical. The working-class autodidact may now be a creature of the past, but the free lecture circuit that men like Leonard would have haunted 100 years ago is still here – in fact it’s flourishing.

Gresham College
Gresham College maintains a roster of professors, most of whom are on three-year secondments from other institutions. Gresham also hosts guest lectures: on May 15, Lord Ashdown will be talking about ‘Building peace in the twenty-first century’.
Gresham College, Barnard’s Inn Hall, EC1 (020 7831 0575/www.gresham.ac.uk) Holborn tube.

UCL Lunch Hour Lectures
UCL’s Lunch Hour Lectures are bite-sized, 40-minute talks given by eminent members of the faculty. These take place in the Darwin Lecture Theatre on Gower Street, and run throughout the year. Among the highlights of this academic year have been phiosophy professor Ted Honderich on terrorism.
UCL Lunch Hour Lectures, Darwin Lecture Theatre, Gower St, WC1 (020 7679 2000/ www.ucl.ac.uk/lhl) Goodge St or Warren St tube.

London School of Economics
Many of the world’s leading statesman have appeared in this stellar programme. Benazir Bhutto and Jeremy Rifkin were recent visitors and Bill Clinton has spoken there in the past. On May 9, Anthony Giddens, Neil Kinnock and Ed Miliband debate the future of New Labour. And later this month Roméo Dallaire, the UN’s man in Rwanda during the genocide in 1994, will be appearing.London School of Economics, Houghton St, WC2 (020 7955 6043/www.lse.ac.uk/collections/LSEPublicLecturesAndEvents) Holborn or Temple tube.

The Ethical Society
Conway Hall in Red Lion Square has long been the home of free thinking in London. Recent topics include ‘Do humanists need the concept of evil?’.
The Ethical Society, Conway Hall, Red Lion Square, WC1 (020 7242 8037/www.ethicalsoc.org.uk) Holborn tube.

The British Academy
The British Academy is the national centre for the humanities and social sciences and its evening lectures are all free. Upcoming lectures include ‘Visions of European Unity since 1945’ on May 17.
The British Academy, 10 Carlton House Terrace, SW1 (020 7969 5200/www.britac.ac.uk/events) Piccadilly Circus tube.

The Royal Society
The Royal Society does for science what the British Academy does for the humanities. All events are free, though in some cases pre-registration is necessary. Professor Laurence Eaves is currently in the middle of a series of talks on ‘Carbon- based electronics’.
The Royal Society, 6-9 Carlton House Terrace, SW1 (020 7451 2500/www.royalsoc.ac.uk) Piccadilly Circus tube.

Royal Academy of Arts
The Royal Academy hosts regular free lunchtime lectures on art-history topics by major scholars in the field. The next is ‘Line in Monet’, delivered by Professor John House on May 21.
Royal Academy of Arts, Piccadilly, W1 (020 7300 5839/www.royalacademy.org.uk/events/lunchtimelectures) Piccadilly Circus tube.

Tate Modern
Every Saturday and Wednesday at 1pm, Tate Modern offers ‘Ten Minute Collection Talks’ – many aren’t free but, if you’d rather not pay, you can watch them live online. Or, on May 16, Jarvis Cocker discusses popular culture .
Tate Modern, Bankside, SE1 (020 7887 8888/www.tate.org.uk/modern) Southwark tube.

Save!!! It would cost you at least £50,000 to hear Bill Clinton speak in your kitchen.