Material World with Ed Conway

This event is part of the Cambridge Literary Festival.

Join Ed Conway, shortlisted author for the 2024 British Academy Book Prize, for an eye-opening journey through the history of human civilization, told from the ground up. In his compelling new book, Conway explores the tiny but powerful materials that have shaped empires, demolished civilizations, and fuelled both our greed and ingenuity for thousands of years. From salt and iron to oil, sand, and lithium, the struggle for these essential resources has never ceased – and it’s only intensifying.

Contrary to the common belief that we now live in a 'weightless world' of information, Conway reveals that in 2017, we extracted more materials from the earth than in all human history before 1950. As our demand for resources grows, so does the environmental and geopolitical impact.

Join Conway as he delves into this hidden battle for the resources that power our modern world, from the materials that build our homes and devices to those that shape our future. Don’t miss the chance to hear about the forces that will determine the world we live in tomorrow.

In conversation with national journalist Donna Ferguson.

Speaker: Ed Conway

Ed Conway is the Economics and Data Editor of Sky News and has been a regular columnist for the Times and the Sunday Times. He has won numerous awards for his television and newspaper journalism, among them the 2018 Wincott Foundation Journalist of the Year Award. 'Material World: A Substantial Story of Our Past and Future' was shortlisted for the 2024 British Academy Book Prize, awarded annually for a non-fiction book written for the general reader, that deepens our understanding of people, societies and cultures and their interactions across time and place.

Image: Photograph of Ed Conway © Urszula Sołtys