The annual conversation inspired by long-term thinking.

This event takes place in the British Library.

Initiated in 2005, the Longplayer Conversation invites leading cultural thinkers to conduct a public conversation inspired by Longplayer, a project which unfolds over the course of a millennium. 

This year’s Longplayer Conversation is between Richard Sabin, Principal Curator of Mammals at the Natural History Museum, and Dr. Sada Mire, Associate Professor of Heritage at University College London.

Longplayer is a 1,000 year-long musical composition. It began playing at midnight on the 31st of December 1999, and will continue to play without repetition until the last moment of 2999, at which point it will complete its cycle and begin again. Conceived and composed by Jem Finer, it was originally produced as an Artangel commission, and is now in the care of the Longplayer Trust. 

Previous Longplayer Conversations have included Denise Ferreira da Silva and Timothy Morton, Chris Watson and Sir David Attenborough, Marina Warner and Ali Smith, Brian Eno and David Graeber.

Richard Sabin is a Principal Curator at the Natural History Museum, London, where he specialises in the study of marine mammals. He publishes widely, is committed to public engagement, accessibility, and diversifying museum audiences. He works closely with the arts and humanities to explore ‘hidden’ narratives of natural history collections.

Dr. Sada Mire is a Somali archaeologist, art historian, science communicator, and presenter. She fled Somalia as a refugee, becoming a Swedish citizen, and holds a Ph.D. from University College London’s Institute of Archaeology, where she is serving as Associate Professor of Heritage Studies. She is the founding director of Horn Heritage Foundation and its Digital Museum, working on research and conservation of heritage across the Horn of Africa. 

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