Bettany Hughes is an award-winning historian, author and broadcaster, whose speciality is ancient and mediaeval history and culture. She has taught at Bristol, Manchester, UCL, Oxford and Cambridge Universities and is a Research Fellow of King’s College London. She is a fascinating speaker with a breadth of talks on the... Read more
Bettany Hughes is an award-winning historian, author and broadcaster, whose speciality is ancient and mediaeval history and culture. She has taught at Bristol, Manchester, UCL, Oxford and Cambridge Universities and is a Research Fellow of King’s College London. She is a fascinating speaker with a breadth of talks on the history which has shaped our planet and her own highly successful career.
Her first book ‘Helen of Troy: Goddess, Princess, Whore’ has been translated into ten languages. Her second, ‘The Hemlock Cup, Socrates, Athens and the Search for the Good Life’ was a New York Times bestseller and was shortlisted for the Writer’s Guild Award.
Bettany Hughes has written and presented numerous documentaries for the BBC, Channel 4, Discovery, PBS, The History Channel, National Geographic and ITV. Her programmes have now been seen by over 150 million worldwide. In 2010, she was awarded the Naomi Sargent Education Prize for Broadcast Excellence and was given a Special Award for services to Hellenic Culture and Heritage.
In 2011 she was Chair of the Orange Prize for Fiction and was made an Honorary Fellow of the Historical Association and of Cardiff University. She was awarded the Norton Medlicott Award for services to History in 2012. In 2013 she was given an Honorary Doctorate by York University in recognition of her ‘outstanding’ contribution to history and to its international promotion.
Bettany Hughes is a long-standing patron and supporter of educational and campaigning charities ‘The Iris Project’, which promotes and teaches Latin, Greek in state schools. She is an honorary, founding patron of ‘Classics For All’, a national campaign to get classical languages and the study of classical civilisations back into state schools, and an advisor to the Foundation for Science Technology and Civilisation which promotes large-scale collaborative projects between East and West.
She co-produced a 7 part global documentary series about the shared roots of Eastern and Western culture which was premiered at UNESCO in 2013. She also made a a 10-part series on the history of ideas for the BBC.
Bettany Hughes was included in the list of the BBC’s 100 Global Women and has always been interested and involved in the writings and historical research surrounding women’s position in society which has led to her contribution as a commentator for newspapers such as The Guardian, The Times, and The Daily Telegraph.
Her most recent book Istanbul: A Tale of Three Cities was published in early 2017 and remains one of Amazon’s bestsellers.
You can book Bettany Hughes through London Speaker Bureau by submitting the enquiry form on this page or calling our team. One of our consultants will respond promptly with Bettany's current availability, speaking fees and any specific requirements for your event.
Bettany Hughes's speaking fees depend on the event format (in-person or virtual), the location, the length of the engagement and the level of customisation required. Please contact London Speaker Bureau for an up-to-date fee quote for Bettany tailored to your event.
Bettany Hughes speaks on Education, Inspirational Women, Society & Education. Talks can be shaped around your audience, industry and strategic objectives - share your event brief with London Speaker Bureau and we will work with Bettany to align the content with your delegates and goals.
London Speaker Bureau can book Bettany Hughes for events worldwide, subject to Bettany's schedule. Please send us your event date, location and format and we will confirm availability and handle travel and logistics on your behalf.
Virtual and hybrid keynotes are now a standard part of the speaking industry. Please contact London Speaker Bureau to confirm whether Bettany Hughes is available to deliver a virtual session for your event and on which platform (Zoom, Microsoft Teams, a bespoke studio or your own).
Most keynote speeches run between 45 and 60 minutes, often followed by a 15-30 minute Q&A. Other formats - shorter conference slots, panel appearances or longer workshop sessions - may also be possible. Share your agenda with London Speaker Bureau and we will confirm what Bettany can accommodate.
London Speaker Bureau will brief Bettany Hughes on your audience profile, sector and objectives so the keynote can be shaped around your event. The level of customisation possible depends on the speaker and the lead time - contact us with your brief and we will confirm what Bettany can offer.
Bettany Hughes delivers keynotes in English. If you require simultaneous interpretation or a multilingual format, please mention this in your enquiry and London Speaker Bureau will arrange it for you.
Bettany Hughes's areas of expertise include Education, Inspirational Women, Society & Education. To get a clear sense of Bettany's style, credentials and how they engage an audience, please review the biography, popular talks and any videos or testimonials shown on this page, or request a detailed speaker brief from London Speaker Bureau.
Bettany Hughes can be booked through London Speaker Bureau for corporate conferences, leadership events, internal team meetings, association gatherings and private client engagements where expertise in Education, Inspirational Women, Society & Education is relevant. Details of Bettany's background and previous engagements are included in the biography above; contact us if you would like a more detailed list of past clients or case studies.
Beyond keynote speeches, many of the speakers on our roster also take part in workshops, executive masterclasses, panel discussions and fireside chats. Contact London Speaker Bureau with your preferred format and we will confirm what Bettany Hughes is able to offer alongside or instead of a keynote.
We generally recommend enquiring at least three to twelve months in advance to secure your preferred date with Bettany Hughes, particularly during peak conference seasons. Where possible we also accommodate shorter lead times - please contact London Speaker Bureau to check Bettany's current availability for your dates.