Lunchtime Video: Amitav Ghosh on The Nutmeg’s Curse

Wednesday January 24th
Doors open 12.45pm; Video starts 1pm.
Library open for readers until 5pm (please no laptops or other devices)

Every Wednesday in January, we'll be showing recorded lectures at lunchtime in our ground floor space. Kairos will then be open all afternoon for anyone who would like to stay on and read in our library.

In this talk (delivered in April 2023 at Georgetown University) writer Amitav Ghosh presents the geopolitics of the 17th century nutmeg trade as an example of Western colonialism’s violent exploitation of human life and the natural environment. It's also a parable for our contemporary crisis, with its roots in a mechanistic view of the earth, where nature exists only as a resource for humans to use for our own ends, rather than a force of its own, full of agency and meaning.

This talk is based on the ideas in his 2021 book The Nutmeg's Curse: Parables for a Planet in Crisis - a sharp critique of Western society and an exploration of the ways in which human history is shaped by non-human forces. His previous non-fiction book The Great Derangement charts the cultural depictions, history and politics of climate change and its relationship to colonialism.

Kairos, 84 Tottenham Court Road, London W1T 4TG

Free entry. No booking required. Bring your own packed lunch. Tea and coffee for sale. Please note that Kairos is a vegan space.