History lessons — historians Orlando Figes, Bettany Hughes, Matthew Longo and Dava Sobel with Annabelle Quince

Democracies in retreat, attacks on science, border disputes, death and destruction. It can feel like we are living in unprecedented times - but here's the thing: world history has a habit of repeating itself. So what lessons does history teach us about this moment in which we find ourselves? Do we humans learn anything from the past, or are we destined to repeat the same mistakes? This event was recorded at Adelaide Writers' Week on 5 May 2025. Speakers Orlando Figes Historian of Russia and Europe Emeritus Professor of History at the University of London Author, The Europeans: Three Lives and the Making of a Cosmopolitan Culture, The Whisperers: Private Life in Stalin's Russia and many more Bettany Hughes Classical historian, writer, broadcaster Author, Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, Venus and Aphrodite: history of a goddess and many more Presenter, Bettany Hughes' Lost Worlds: The Nabataeans (SBS) Matthew Longo Political scientist Author, The Politics of Borders: Sovereignty, Security, and the Citizen after 9/11, The Picnic: A dream of freedom and the collapse of the Iron Curtain (Winner of the 2024 Orwell Prize for political writing) Assistant Professor of Political Science, Leiden University (The Netherlands) Dava Sobel Science writer and historian Author, Longitude, Galileo's Daughter, The Elements of Marie Curie and many more Annabelle Quince (host) Host, Rear Vision, ABC Radio National

Big Ideas · Australian Broadcasting Corporation