Who Needs Europe - a podcast by Free Word

At a time when Britain's continued membership of both the European Union and the European Convention of Human Rights is the subject of active discussion, Free Word and English PEN have invited five leading writers and thinkers to address - in a series of essays and a discussion - the question of our future relationship with Europe and what might be the new narratives for Europe in an interdependent world.

In 2013 President Barroso put out a call to citizens for a "new narrative" for Europe. The idea of Europe - born from the devastation wrought by two world wars and then later strengthened by the reunification of Europe after the fall of the Berlin Wall - was, he acknowledged, in crisis.

What, he asked, is Europe's role in the world today? How can it become a genuine and effective political body able to rise to the challenges facing European citizens today, engaging in the global issues of our times, protecting commonly held values around democracy, human rights and free expression, and supporting the sciences and the arts to generate new and radical ways of thinking.

In launching the call President Barroso highlighted the role of culture and stories; "At a time when culture is perceived as optional rather than essential, It has become difficult to tell each other the simplest of stories, let alone articulate compelling narratives about the values that underpin our society. Yet now is the moment for compelling narratives rather than simple number crunching."

Following discussions in Berlin, Brussels, Milan and Warsaw, the debate now comes to London.

Join Gabriel Gbadamosi, Xiaolu Guo, A.L.Kennedy, Can Yeginsu and Rosie Goldsmith for a discussion about what Europe means to us.

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