Two hundred years ago, vast stretches of the ancient world were effectively lost to us. Civilisations had left behind extraordinary records of their lives, but the languages in which they were written had become indecipherable. Then, over the course of a few decades, a group of people began cracking the codes, bringing 3,000 years of human history back into view.

In his new book, The Book of Lost Languages: An Epic Quest to Decipher the Past, Daniel Harbour tells the stories of these unlikely detectives of the ancient world, whose discoveries transformed our understanding of human civilisation. Celebrate the launch of The Book of Lost Languages, and join Daniel Harbour in conversation with David Adger, for an evening exploring the ingenuity, obsession and occasional sheer luck behind some of history’s greatest intellectual breakthroughs.

Books will be available for purchase and signing.