Why Inequality Persists and How We Move Beyond

This public event brings together novelists Joanna Kavenna and Kim Stanley Robinson for a conversation with economic anthropologist Jason Hickel and Oxford academics, facilitated by Professor Anette Mikes and Venus Bivar. It forms part of the Oxford Ministry for the Future programme and focuses on why inequality persists, as well as how more just and equitable futures might be built.

The discussion explores the relationship between literature, inequality, justice and social change, with a particular emphasis on how society might reduce inequality and turn ideas into practical policy. The session is designed to be engaging and interdisciplinary, drawing on perspectives from writing, economics, academic research and public debate.

Attendees will also have the opportunity to view a video installation by artist Maija Tammi and to connect with others from academia, the arts and civil society. The event is presented as a major gathering within the Oxford Ministry for the Future series, bringing together speakers and audiences interested in global challenges and imagined futures.