Produced and presented by Byline Times
Join the team behind the independent investigative news outlet Byline Times for an open forum discussion about the mythology of icons
How are public myths made? Why do some individuals and institutions command extraordinary loyalty, even in the face of uncomfortable evidence? What happens when the stories about our heroes begin to unravel – and do critical flaws necessarily invalidate the whole?
The mounting revelations about Epstein’s network and the enduring controversies surrounding figures like Woody Allen, Michael Jackson and Noam Chomsky, show that we are living through a period of cultural reckoning. An iconoclastic moment.
Across politics, entertainment, academia and the monarchy, long-established reputations are being reassessed, while heated public arguments continue over evidence, accountability, historical judgment and the limitations of separating person from myth.
On Monday 6 July at The Cockpit, the Byline Times team will be discussing the mythology of icons in the round with a stellar line-up of panelists:
Andrew Lownie
The award-winning historian and investigative biographer has spent decades uncovering the secretive world of the British Crown. His latest bestseller, Entitled: The Rise and Fall of the House of York, raises pressing questions about Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor that go far beyond the lewd personal scandal – including his relationship with Russian and Israeli intelligence services and the Epstein kompromat network. He’ll speak to the mythology surrounding Britain’s oldest institution, and how that can be reconciled with official secrecy and a startling lack of accountability.
Otto English
The author of the bestselling Fake History and Fake Heroes, Otto English has built his reputation dismantling the comforting myths that nations, politicians and public figures carefully construct about themselves. His work explores why societies cling to simplified stories of greatness, why inconvenient truths are so often resisted, and how myth-making shapes our understanding of history long after the facts have become available.
Iain Overton
Award-winning journalist, broadcaster and author Iain Overton has spent a career exploring the stories societies tell themselves about violence, heroism and sacrifice. From Gun Baby Gun, his global investigation into the mythology of firearms, to The Price of Paradise, his acclaimed study of the suicide bomber as a cultural icon, Overton examines how ideas become symbols, and symbols become articles of faith. His work asks why certain narratives endure, even when the evidence is more complicated than the legend.
Byline Times live events are not about easy answers or passive listening. It’s an open conversation, in the round, challenging and open to everyone in the room.
Bring your questions, your disagreements and your curiosity. Join us as we examine the myths that continue to shape public life – and help decide which deserve to endure, and which are finally ready to be dismantled.
Hosted by Byline Times Editor in Chief, Hardeep Matharu and co-founder, Peter Jukes
Monday 6 July - 7:30pm
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