William Dalrymple
- Date
- 30 June, 2025
- Start time:
- 19:30
- Venue Name
- Cambridge Corn Exchange
Description
The historian and co-host of the chart-topping podcast Empire, William Dalrymple, shares the rarely told story of India’s role as a cultural and scientific superpower of the ancient world.
One of Britain’s greatest living historians, William Dalrymple is known across the globe for his ability to bring the extraordinary history of the Indian subcontinent to life, whether through award-winning, bestselling books like Return of a King and The Anarchy, or his chart-topping podcast, Empire.
Now he joins us to tell the story of how, from 250BC to 1200AD, India transformed the world: exporting religion, art, science, medicine, and language along a Golden Road that stretched from the Red Sea to the Pacific, creating a vast and profoundly important empire of ideas.
Like ancient Greece, ancient India came up with a set of profound answers to the big questions about what the world is, how it operates, why we are here and how we should live our lives. Out of India came holy men, monks and missionaries as well as pioneering merchants and artists, astronomers, healers, and scientists. Indian ideas crossed political borders and influenced everything they touched, from the statues in Roman seaports to the Buddhism of Japan, the poetry of China to the mathematics of Baghdad.
Don’t miss this chance to hear the story of how India became the great intellectual and philosophical superpower of ancient Asia.
Accessibility Information
If you would like to book accessible seating, your account with the Cambridge Corn Exchange must have a tag applied to it. Please email tickets@cambridge.gov.uk or call 01223 357851 (Mon-Fri 10am-5pm)* to request we add this tag to your account. Please read our access document in advance of booking to ensure the tickets you book are the most suitable.
Access to the box office
The Box Office for the Corn Exchange is called Cambridge Live Tickets and is located left of the venue, two doors down (next to the restaurant Steak & Honour.)
The Cambridge Live Tickets Box Office is currently closed, however, when there is a performance taking place the Box Office opens at 6pm (or an hour before a matinee starts) and closes half an hour after the start time (or until 9pm for standing performance.)
Here is a summary of Box Office features:
- Lowered kerb providing level access
- Automatic sliding doors to Box Office
- Large print seating plans
- A lowered counter
- An induction loop
- Wi-Fi
Audio Loop
There is an infra-red hearing enhancement system which can be used either with, or without a hearing aid. The system only works in the auditorium and balcony. The headphones and receiver can be obtained from the steward at the Customer Services Desk. No deposit is required but the stewards will ask for your name and seat number” There are 6 sets available which consist of, a headset, receiver and neck loop. There are certain areas within the auditorium where the system doesn’t work:- Rows S to Z, seats 1 to 8 (House Right), at the rear of the auditorium. Rows XF to XK Rows O to R, seats 1 to 4 Using the system with a hearing aid Headphones are attached to the receiver and then worn in a similar fashion to a personal stereo. For those customers with hearing aids without a T setting, we suggest using this system with headphones but removing your hearing aid whilst inside the auditorium. The loop should be placed around the customer’s neck and attached to the receiver. The receiver should remain uncovered at all times, in order to pick up the signal. They can use channels 0 - 4 to receive the sound. The volume can be controlled on the receiver. Using the system without a hearing aid The headphones should be attached to the receiver and worn in similar fashion to a personal stereo. The receiver should remain uncovered at all times, in order to pick up the signal. They can use channels 0 - 4 to receive the sound. The volume can be controlled on the receiver.
Wheelchair Access
Level Access and Automatic Doors (or No Doors)
Assistance Dogs
Assistance dogs are welcome at our venue.