Our selection of the five best talks, readings, lectures, debates and other wordy-based events taking place across London in the month ahead.
Wednesday 4th May
The Media's Philosophical Problem @ ICA
£12, 6.45pm
Alongside Paul A Taylor, everyone's favourite Slovenian philosopher, Slavoj Žižek, examines the problems associated with trying to communicate complex intellectual ideas through the mainstream media. One need only recall the torrent of abuse hurled the way of Jacques Derrida upon his death to see the way the difficult thoughts and newspapers seldom mix.
Sunday 8th May
Judeocommunistanarchist(pre)poststructuralistmiddleclassguilt-conspirators Part 1. @ Housman's Bookstore
£3, 6pm
Woah, check out the title on this one! How could you fail to be intrigued by something where saying the event's title will probably take even longer than the event itself? Anyway, the evening consists of Gabriel Kuhn talking about two famous Jewish types – Gustav Landauer, ideological founder of the Kibbutz, and murdered satirist Erich Muhsam. Oh, and the organisers, the ever-entertaining Jewdas, are promising posh nosh.
Thursday 12th May
Bob and Roberta Smith @ WORK
Free, 6.30pm
The critic with only one name, Bidisha, chats to the artist with several, Bob and Roberta Smith (aka Patrick Brill) at recently opened contemporary art gallery, WORK. The two are discussing Smith's current solo show at the gallery, which examines issues around political reform in the artist's characteristic tongue-in-cheek sloganeering style.
Tuesday 24th May
Rebels, Troublemakers and Infidels @ Bishopsgate Library
Free, 7.30pm
The Library and Archives Manager of the marvellous Bishopsgate Library, Stefan Dickers, discusses the Institutes history in relation to a number of heterodox thinkers, troublemakers and ne'er-do-wells. One doesn't usually associate libraries with acts of rebellion, but Dickers urges us to think again.
Thursday 26th May
Drink Food Design Talk @ Great Western Studios
Free, 6.30pm
Like books and their covers, they say you can't judge a bottle of wine by the label. But everyone does, and in fact sometimes you kind of have to. But how much thought goes into this aspect of the wine and food trades? Answer: quite a lot. Julian Metcalfe (founder of Pret and itsu), Afroditi Krassa (food branding expert) and Fernando Gutiérrez (graphic designer who's done loads of wines) discuss the issues at hand.
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Photo credit: Borut Peterlin
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