BYLINE TIMES: The Lure Of...Series

_{Host Hardeep Matharu with Natasha Devon and James Bloodworth, DJ Smutty, The Cockpit's Dave Wybrow and fellow audience member in Camadero's Maff Pott's giant underpants}

_{Hardeep with Catherine Mayer, Byline Times' Stephen Colegrave with Clare Farrell. Images from The Lure Of Loneliness and The Lure of Perfection evenings.}

BYLINE TIMES: The Lure Of...
Current Affairs in the Round at The Cockpit

There’s no shortage of strong opinions in Britain today – what’s missing is good-faith debate. Too much of our national conversation has become performative. It seems designed to inflame rather than illuminate.

That’s why Byline Times launched our series of ‘Out of the Comfort Zone’ events at the Cockpit Theatre in 2025. These interactive discussions have sparked genuinely unexpected and illuminating moments.

At a time when many of Britain’s most powerful media proprietors remain distant and unseen, Byline Times does the opposite: we step out from behind the editorial line and into the room.

Hosted by Byline Times Editor-in-Chief Hardeep Matharu and Co-Founder Peter Jukes, plus a wide-ranging variety of guest authors, campaigners and thought leaders. Previous guests have included: broadcaster and academic Bonnie Greer, journalist and activist Femi Oluwole, novelist Jake Arnott, Camerados founder Maff Potts, XR and Humanity Project co-founder Clare Farrell, author and Women's Equality Party co-founder Catherine Mayer, Conservative commentator Albie Amankona, investigative journalist and author Nafeez Ahmed, Asylum Speakers founder Jaz O'Hara, author and broadcaster John Sweeney and many many more...

In addition to current affairs, there's also laughter, readings, music, poetry - there's even been dancing and a good old sing song round the old Joanna - every night is different!

_{Byline Times' co-hosts Peter Jukes and Hardeep Matharu with writer and author Jay Griffiths and journalist and author Ian Overton at February's The Lure of Loneliness night}