Roman Krznaric

Roman Krznaric is a co-founder of The School of Life, a social enterprise in London that offers instruction and inspiration on how to live wisely and well. He has been named by The Observer as one of Britain's leading lifestyle thinkers, and advises organisations including Oxfam and the United Nations on using empathy and conversation to create social change. He was previously Project Director at The Oxford Muse, the foundation established by the avant-garde historian Theodore Zeldin to stimulate courage and invention in personal, professional and cultural life. He regularly speaks at public events on topics related to empathy and the art of living. Recent appearances include the Edinburgh International Festival, the Latitude Arts Festival and the London Design Festival.

He is the author of a book on what sport can teach us about life, The First Beautiful Game: Stories of Obsession in Real Tennis. His forthcoming book, The Lost History of How to Live, will be published by Profile Books in January 2012, and he is currently writing How to Find a Job You Love for a new series edited by Alain de Botton, to be published by Pan Macmillan.

For further details see his website www.romankrznaric.com, and his blog dedicated to empathy, www.outrospection.org.

Roman can speak on a number of interesting topics, including:

The History and Future of Love

What can we learn from the ancient Greeks about how to be a good lover, and how have we been trapped by the myth of romantic love?

The Six Habits of Highly Empathic People

A talk on how stepping into the shoes of others can become the ultimate extreme sport of the twenty-first century. Surprising guides, from George Orwell to the Ku Klux Klan, show us the way. 

Deathstyle

If we are so obsessed with lifestyle, why not think about deathstyle? Learn from the past about how death can be celebrated and embraced as a part of life.

Work and the Art of Living

How can we find a job which offers us a deep sense of meaning and purpose? Do we want to be high achievers or wide achievers? Leonardo da Vinci and Zorba the Greek help provide the answers.

The Tyranny of the Clock

How has time come to dominate our lives, and what can we do to liberate ourselves? Take a journey from the invention of the medieval clock to the Balinese concept of time.

The Art of Conversation

Discover why Dr Johnson was one of the worst conversationalists in history, and how we can have conversations that nurture our relationships, expand our curiosity and get beyond superficial talk.

Where Do You Think You're Going? The Art of Travel

The strange story of how we came to believe travel was about looking at art and famous monuments, and how the paths of the pilgrim, the nomad and the explorer can take travel in new directions.

The Myth of the Five Senses

If you think you have five senses, think again. Explore the origins of this myth, how the eye came to dominate the ear and the nose, and how to expand your sensory repertoire.

The Art and History of Real tennis

Discover the origins and history of this forgotten medieval sport whose fanatical players included Henry VIII, and which was celebrated by Shakespeare.