The opening panel explores the main theme of the festival of Defending Truth and Democracy against the backdrop of rising extremism.

Byline Times’ editor in cheif, Hardeep Matharu, interviews Yasmin Alibhai-Brown, is a Ugandan-born journalist, author, and broadcaster, known for her award-winning political writing and advocacy on diversity and inclusion. She is a columnist for the i newspaper, professor at Middlesex University, and co-founder of British Muslims for Secular Democracy.

followed by a panel discussion from:

Adam Bienkov, online political editor of Byline Times

Peter Geoghegan, edits for Democracy for Sale, an investigative newsletter with more than 28,000 subscribers. His recent book, Democracy for Sale: Dark Money and Dirty Politics, was a Sunday Times bestseller’

Nafeez Ahmed, award-winning investigative journalist, systems theorist, and bestselling author whose work has appeared in The Guardian, VICE, The Independent, The Atlantic, The Times - and of course Byline Times. Twice listed on the Evening Standard’s “Power 1,000” list of London’s most influential people, he has received two Project Censored Awards for his groundbreaking journalism. His new book, ALT REICH: THE NETWORK WAR TO DESTROY THE WEST FROM WITHIN reveals how Nazi-aligned eugenicist ideologies are infiltrating Western democracies through a transatlantic far-right network. Founder of Age of Transformation and Director of the Foundation of Civilisation Renewal, Nafeez brings insights on systemic risk, civilisational change, and the planetary future to global audiences—from UN climate summits to major festivals and Fortune 500 leaders.