Edinburgh Lecture Series 2012 Announced

Submitted by edg on Tue, 17 Jan '12 8.14pm

Kate Adie, Lord David Puttnam, His Holiness the Dalai Lama, and Olivia Giles are among the speakers appearing at the Edinburgh Lectures 2012 over the next few months, it was announced today.

The programme, running from February to June, marks its twentieth anniversary this year by celebrating "those who have achieved the extraordinary in their own field."

Entitled ‘Extraordinary Feats, Extraordinary People’, a nod to the sporting achievements anticipated at the 2012 London Olympics, this year's strand of lectures reflects a variety of achievements, from women in the field of astronomy, to Chariots of Fire director Lord Puttnam on Scottish Olympic champion sprinter Eric Liddell.

The Dalai Lama, on 22nd June at the Usher Hall, will deliver a talk entitled "Beyond religion: ethics for a whole world" where he will outline a system of secular ethics that respects religion while maintaining a spiritual and intellectual authority, thereby bringing improvement to the lives of all around the world.

Olivia Giles OBE, will deliver the fourth lecture of the series at the Scottish Storytelling Centre, entitled ‘The Power of Opportunity’ and presented by Queen Margaret University.

Giles, who lost her lower legs and both of her lower arms after contracting meningitis, said: "I am delighted to be speaking at this year's very special twentieth anniversary series of the Edinburgh Lectures. Achieving the extraordinary is something we credit to only a very few individuals; however from past experience I have seen the potential and capacity of ordinary people to achieve incredible feats when they have to - or really want to. Being alive and receptive to the opportunities that present themselves in everyday life, is the first step to finding the courage to grasp them and the stamina to deliver on them."

The Lectures are led by the City of Edinburgh Council and presented in partnership with a number of institutionals such as local universities and government.

The Rt Hon George Grubb, Lord Lieutenant and Lord Provost of the City of Edinburgh, said this year's “stunning" line-up would make for "a very special twentieth anniversary of the series.”

The line-up of confirmed speakers includes:

  • Professor Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell DBE FRS FRSE, British astrophysicist credited with the discovery of radio pulsars
  • Kate Adie OBE, British broadcaster and previous Chief News Correspondent for the BBC
  • Magnus Macfarlane Barrow OBE, Founder of Mary’s Meals
  • Dr Olivia Giles OBE, Campaigner and fundraiser
  • Pinky Liliani OBE, Celebrated motivational speaker and Indian cookery specialist
  • Dr George Kerr CBE, Renowned Scottish Judo expert and holder of 10th Dan.
  • Mark Cousins, Director and Filmmaker (The Story of Film: An Odyssey)
  • Lord David Puttnam CBE, British film producer
  • Professor Sue Black OBE, Director of the Centre for Anatomy and Human Identification at the University of Dundee
  • His Holiness The Dalai Lama, Spiritual Leader of Tibet

Previous Edinburgh Lectures have seen over 200 high calibre speakers from home and abroad provide insightful and stimulating contributions. They have included Stephen Hawking, HRH The Princess Royal, Mikail Gorbachev, Sir Jackie Stewart and First Minister Alex Salmond.

Tickets are available from the Usher Hall