Lynn Barber, Bloomsbury Institute

It is a very curious career indeed that encompasses a risqué glamour publication, encounters with eminent figures and the prestige of six British Press awards. But Lynn Barber’s journalistic success is also built upon her own unstoppable curiosity. Her latest memoir, A Curious Career, explores the inherent inquisitiveness that has shaped almost five decades of captivating interviews. To mark its publication the legendary writer will share salacious snippets and eye-opening insights at the Bloomsbury Institute.

Combining gossip, anecdotes and extraordinary meetings, the book spans Barber’s early days interviewing fetishists and for Penthouse Magazine to her legendary interviews for more illustrious publications including Vanity Fair , The Telegraph and The Sunday Times . Dubbed ‘The Demon Barber' because of her reputation for hatchet jobs, she refuses to be wooed by big names. There’s no pandering to celebrity. If she doesn’t like someone it’s obvious in her sharp prose. This bluntness enraged the Twittersphere in 2011 when Barber interviewed tennis star Rafa Nadal and declared, ‘I didn’t find him lovely at all.’ Such frankness lends more than just wry humour to Barber’s memoirs; her outspoken questioning challenges the façade of fame. Poignantly, way back in 1990 she confronted the recently knighted (and very much national hero) Jimmy Savile about rumours of paedophilia. 

Expect to get the inside scoop on these controversial interviews and oodles more, as Barber affectionately captures those who charmed her, and lives up to her reputation in deriding those who didn't. The qualities that make Barber such an adept listener and interviewer – candour, charm and a very slick wit – also make her an unmissable speaker.