A London Young Fabians and Economy & Finance Network event
*UPDATE: Due to unprecedented demand, this event is sold out. We are no longer accepting new RSVPs, but if you'd like to be added to the waiting list, please email us with your name and how many people are in your group. We'll be in touch if anyone drops out.*
Join us in Parliament on Tuesday 17 January 2023 at 7.30pm to hear from Ha-Joon Chang, one of the world's leading progressive economists, who will be talking to Young Fabian members about his latest book Edible Economics and the state of the UK economy. The blurb for Edible Economics, a recent Radio 4 Book of The Week, reads as follows:
"For decades, a single free market philosophy has dominated global economics. But this is bland and unhealthy - like British food in the 1980s, when bestselling author and economist Ha-Joon Chang first arrived in the UK from South Korea. Just as eating a wide range of cuisines contributes to a more interesting and balanced diet, so too is it essential we listen to a variety of economic perspectives.
"In Edible Economics, Chang makes challenging economic ideas more palatable by plating them alongside stories about food from around the world. He uses histories behind familiar food items - where they come from, how they are cooked and consumed, what they mean to different cultures - to explore economic theory. For Chang, chocolate is a life-long addiction, but more exciting are the insights it offers into post-industrial knowledge economies; and while okra makes Southern gumbo heart-meltingly smooth, it also speaks of capitalism's entangled relationship with freedom and unfreedom. Explaining everything from the hidden cost of care work to the misleading language of the free market as he cooks dishes like anchovy and egg toast, Gambas al Ajillo and Korean dotori mook, Ha-Joon Chang serves up an easy-to-digest feast of bold ideas.
"Myth-busting, witty and thought-provoking, Edible Economics shows that getting to grips with the economy is like learning a recipe: if we understand it, we can change it - and, with it, the world."
This event will consist of a lecture followed by a question-and-answer session.
Please RSVP below if you wish to attend by 6pm on Sunday 15 January. Important practical information, including entrance details, as well as a ticket to show on the door, will be emailed to those who RSVP using the form at the bottom of this page on the evening of 15 January, 2 days before the event itself on 17 January.
If you have any questions regarding accessibility or anything else, please contact us at [email protected].
About the speaker:
Ha-Joon Chang is a Research Professor of Economics at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) and is one of the world's leading economists. His critically-acclaimed books, including 23 Things They Don’t Tell You About Capitalism (2010), Economics: The User’s Guide (2014) and Edible Economics (2022), have sold over two million copies worldwide and have been translated in over 40 languages. Prior to joining SOAS, Ha-Joon taught economics at the University of Cambridge and has served as a consultant to the World Bank, Asian Development Bank, the European Investment Bank, as well as multiple UN agencies.
About the event organisers:
Maike Erb is a Senior Consultant and was recently Secretary of the Young Fabians Technology, Defence and Cybersecurity Network.
Finley Harnett is a Senior Parliamentary Assistant, Chair of London Young Fabians and was a Labour Party candidate in May's Harrow Council elections.
Dominic Shaw is an Economist and has previously worked at the Bank of England. He is Chair of the Young Fabians Economy & Finance Network and Secretary of London Young Fabians.