Short talks. Guaranteed conversation.

Small Talks is a social night built around fast, funny, PowerPoint-assisted talks on strange, obsessive, completely unnecessary topics, with one rule: no talking about work.

Each speaker gets 10–12 minutes to make the case for something they care about a little too much. The result? A room full of conversation starters.

After every talk there’s a short Q&A (as serious or unserious as you like).

There’s a break halfway through to grab a drink and chat. When the talks are done, the room is yours: talk to strangers, argue, laugh, or just observe. Low pressure, high curiosity, zero networking, minimal lo-fi background music so you don’t have to yell.

This isn’t networking or a lecture. It’s structured curiosity, followed by unstructured conversation.

Expect:

•⁠ ⁠around 5 short talks

•⁠ ⁠conversation starters (and potentially small amounts of organised fun)

•⁠ ⁠drinks encouraged - whatever keeps your brain lubricated.

•⁠ ⁠low stakes - these talks aren't inaccessible. They aren't even usually academic.*

*If you're curious, some examples of previous speeches:

What words does David Bowie use the most?

Who were the Highgate Cemetery vampires actually?

A computer cannot actually generate a random number???

A not-so-brief history of the Village People

How do dating apps actually work?

The Victoria Line is the best line

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Access information:

The Tokenhouse is 4 mins on foot from Moorgate. The venue itself has step free access and then we're down a flight of stairs; a wheelchair accessible lift is available. Toilets are downstairs, on the same floor we're on. The venue is air conditioned.

Description supplied by the event organiser.