Even before Covid-19 made the term ‘social distancing’ so familiar, UK government statistics reported that up to a fifth of all UK adults feel lonely most or all of the time. Loneliness is beginning to affect us all, and often in surprising ways. What is the “loneliness economy” and how should we feel about it? Why does AI risk making us feel even more lonely? What is the link between loneliness and politics – could loneliness even affect the outcome of the US election?

Editor: James Harding, Editor and Co-founder, Tortoise

Our invited experts include:
Noreena Hertz is an economist, best-selling author and broadcaster. She was named by The Observer as “one of the world’s leading thinkers”. Her new book, The Lonely Century, is out now.

Baroness Barran MBE was appointed Minister for Civil Society in July 2019, with a responsibility for the cross-government work programme on tackling loneliness. She has previously had extensive experience in the charity sector, including founder and and chief executive of the domestic abuse charity SafeLives for 13 years until 2019.

Christina Victor is Professor of Gerontology and Public Health and Vice Dean (Research) in the College of Health and Life Sciences at Brunel University. She was the winner of the 2017 British Society of Gerontology Outstanding Achievement Award for her significant contribution to the public understanding of ageing, including her noteworthy contributions to the development of the Campaign to End Loneliness.