The Parkes Lecture 2010 Event

'Rethinking antisemitism' given by Jonathan Freedland

Columnist of the Year at the annual What the Papers Say awards in 2002 and much praised for his "incisive, original, strong and very outspoken views", Jonathan Freedland is an award-winning journalist and broadcaster who, under the pseudonym 'Sam Bourne', also has a separate literary life as a successful novelist. He writes a weekly column in The Guardian, as well as a monthly piece for The Jewish Chronicle. He also presents BBC Radio 4's contemporary history series, The Long View. In February 2005, he published Jacob's Gift- a memoir telling the stories of three generations of his own family as well as exploring wider and urgent questions of identity and belonging. His first book, Bring Home the Revolution: the Case for a British Republic, was both acclaimed and controversial - arguing that Britain was in dire need of a constitutional and cultural overhaul, one that could learn much from America. It was later adapted into a TV series for BBC Two. He writes for a variety of US publications, including the New York Times, Los Angeles Times and Newsweek and served four years as the Guardian's Washington Correspondent. The US remains an area of specialist interest - along with the politics of Britain and the Middle East. Jonathan has fronted The Talk Show on BBC 4 as well as several programmes for Channel 4 - including a debate on the legacy of the Second World War.