What lessons does the past hold for our future? Join Britain’s pre-eminent public historian to explore his thoughts on the pandemic, the Biden presidency, the future of populism and more.
The events of 2020 have upturned the order of the world, and the medical, economic and political crises we face will not fade quietly as the new year begins.
Though so much of the present moment feels strange and unprecedented, there is wisdom in heeding to George Santayana’s famous proverb that those who cannot remember the past are doomed to repeat it.
To help ensure that we do not fall foul of the prophecy, Simon Schama joins 5x15 to share his insights into the past and near future.
A natural storyteller with a deep grasp of human psychology and the broader forces that shape our world, Schama will reflect upon the lessons history holds for the coming year in conversation with journalist and broadcaster Matthew Stadlen, exploring Trump’s resistance to the election result and its consequences for American democracy, the tragedy of the pandemic, the endgame of Brexit and more.
Simon Schama is Columbia University Professor of Art History and History. He previously taught history at Cambridge and art history and history at Harvard. His books have been translated into fifteen languages and include Patriots and Liberators: Revolution and Government in the Netherlands 1780-1813 (1977); The Embarrassment of Riches (1987); Citizens: A Chronicle of the French Revolution (1989); Landscape and Memory (1995); Rembrandt's Eyes (1999); the History of Britain trilogy (2000-2002); Rough Crossings: Britain, the Slaves and the American Revolution (2006); The Power of Art (2007); The Story of the Jews (2014). His books have won the Wolfson Award for History, the W.H Smith Prize for Literature, the National Academy of Arts and Letters Award for Literature.
His television work for the BBC and PBS as writer-presenter includes two films on Rembrandt; a five part series based on Landscape and Memory; the award-winning, Emmy-nominated "A History of Britain"; a film on Tolstoy; a ninety minute adaptation of Rough Crossings; and the eight part series "The Power of Art."
5x15 brings together five outstanding individuals to tell of their lives, passions and inspirations. There are only two rules - no scripts and only 15 minutes each.
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