Canongate Announces New Partnership with Barbican for Open Salon Series

Canongate and the Barbican are pleased to announce a partnership which will create a new strand of inspirational talks, lively interviews and provocative debates. Each month some of the brightest minds and most original thinkers will speak on a diverse range of subjects, encouraging discussion, sparking new ideas and challenging the way we think.

In the first quarter award-winning writer Lisa Appignanesi and bibliotherapist Ella Berthoud talk about love and the impact this unruly emotion has on all our lives, renowned philosopher Julian Baggini and Claudia Hammond explore the concept of free will and mortician Caitlin Doughty takes a fascinating look at the funeral industry and how we deal with death.

Sean Gregory, Director of Creative Learning at the Barbican said: "We are delighted to be working with Canongate to bring these fascinating speakers to the Barbican. The Open Salon events will be stimulating, illuminating and entertaining, and add another dimension to our established talks which give deeper insight into the Barbican's artistic programme."

Angela Robertson, Head of Brand and Events at Canongate added: "This partnership is a unique opportunity to curate a brand new events strand with one of the biggest arts institutions in the UK. Canongate authors will team up with other writers, thinkers and creatives in a forum which will see novelists in conversation with neuroscientists, artists with psychologists and academics with musicians in an exciting exchange of ideas."

Details of further speakers and events in the Barbican Open Salon series will be announced shortly.