This volume publishes texts from the British Academy's 2013 and 2014 lecture programmes, which were posted to the online Journal of the British Academy in 2014.

The subjects covered include relic veneration in Confucianism, UK education policy, dyslexia, music as performance, Islamic fundamentalism, Charlemagne, economic modelling and 'What are Prime Ministers For?'

The editors are Professors Janet Carsten and Simon Frith, who are both Fellows of the British Academy. The authors are all recognised experts in their fields within the humanities and social sciences and the texts published here have been rigorously peer-reviewed.