Dialogues and Critical Inquires
© Diana Perry Schnelle | THE NEW INSTITUTE
report
report
Dialogues and Critical Inquires
At this year's Frankfurt Book Fair, we contributed two events that brought together critical thinkers to highlight the power of literature as tools for social change.
16.10.24
On the opening night, Kohei Saito, chair of our Beyond Capitalism program, engaged in a riveting conversation with bestselling historian Yuval Noah Harari.
Co-hosted by Süddeutsche Zeitung and Goethe University Frankfurt, the event drew a large audience eager to hear these intellectual luminaries discuss pressing social issues. Saito discussed topics from his recent book Systemsturz, and made a strong argument for why we need to pursue “degrowth” as an immediate priority in the face of the multiple crises we are currently facing.
Harari also addressed the need for urgent action vis-à-vis the dangers of AI and how it threatens humanity if it is not regulated, the topic of his new book Nexus. The conversation ranged from what Marx got right – and wrong – to ideas around how bureaucracy can be the unsung hero of progress, to understanding the power of narrative to convince people of the need for change.
Watch the ARD recording of ttt – titel, thesen, temperamente – at the event here.
19.10.24
Later in the week, THE NEW INSTITUTE hosted a dynamic discussion on Black Feminism featuring our alumna Akwugo Emejulu, a political sociologist. She was joined by Dominique Haensell, a writer, translator, and editor, for a conversation about the power of literature, the publishing industry, why representation matters, and who gets published. The event, moderated by writer Lubi Barre, was held in the iconic Frankfurt Pavilion, and was packed with an enthusiastic audience.
Emejulu and Haensell talked about the books that first awakened them to the concept of feminism, sharing reflections on how much literature has shaped their personal and professional lives. A video from the full event is available here.
