This September, the Sydney Opera House will once again host its most salacious and sticky series of lectures and panel talks, known as the annual Festival of Dangerous Ideas.
Since its inception in 2009, the festival has welcomed some of famous and infamous figures from around the world to speak about issues surrounding everything and anything such as bioethics, torture, the green movement, gender equality, capitalism, religion, sex and philosophy.
Last year's cast of international opinionators included WikiLeaks’ Julian Assange appearing via video link, British novelist Alexander McCall-Smith, freelance Egyptian-American journalist Mona Eltahawy, and popular Slovenian philosopher and cultural critic Slavoj Žižek.
This year, the festival brings the same zest and audacity to the fore, with speakers such as notorious feminist Germaine Greer, philosopher and prominent atheist Sam Harris, Catholic bishop Julian Porteous and political analyst Guy Pearse.
The long list of influential speakers will negotiate topics ranging from free will, private schools, genital cutting, ANZAC Day and the war in Afghanistan; and ask tough questions like whether all Australians are racist, whether all women hate each other, whether China loves America, and whether the devil is real - amongst other contentious concerns.
Tickets can be purchased in discounted multi-packs now, or single tickets this Friday through the Sydney Opera House.
- Jenny Noyes
