Professor Raymond Tallis is a philosopher, poet, novelist and cultural critic and was until recently a physician and clinical scientist. In the Economist’s Intelligent Life Magazine he was listed as one of the top living polymaths in the world. Over the last 20 years Raymond Tallis has published fiction, three volumes of poetry, and 23 books on the philosophy of mind, philosophical anthropology, literary theory, the nature of art and cultural criticism. Together with over 200 articles in Prospect, Times Literary Supplement and many other outlets, these books offer a critique of current predominant intellectual trends and an alternative understanding of human consciousness, the nature of language and of what it is to be a human being. For this work, Professor Tallis has been awarded two honorary degrees and is a visiting professor at a number of Universities. He was a member of the judges’ panel for the Samuel Johnson prize in 2012 and in 2015 he judged the Notting Hill Essay prize. He makes regular appearances at Hay, Cheltenham, Edinburgh and other book festivals and lectures widely. He is particularly well liked for his amusing, engaging and inspiring talks.