Oliver Burkeman

Oliver Burkeman is a celebrated author and journalist who spent over a decade writing the popular Guardian column, "This Column Will Change Your Life". His work investigates the intersections of social psychology, productivity, and the science of happiness. A graduate of Christ’s College, Cambridge, Burkeman has reported internationally from London, Washington, and New York. He is widely recognised for his unique philosophical approach to time, notably explored in his bestseller Four Thousand Weeks, which the Financial Times named as one of the best books of its year. His literary contributions include The Antidote and Meditations for Mortals, further cementing his reputation for exploring the importance of embracing limitations. Burkeman has received the Foreign Press Association’s Young Journalist of the Year award and the FPA science story of the year. He has also been shortlisted for the prestigious Orwell Prize and the Feature Writer of the Year at the What The Papers Say awards. Beyond the written word, he hosts the BBC Sounds series Inconvenient Truth and produced the BBC Radio 4 collection Epidemics of Modern Life. Currently, Burkeman authors the Imperfectionist newsletter, continuing his exploration of how to build a meaningful life in an age of constant distraction. He is frequently booked for his ability to provide a refreshing and grounded perspective on personal development, offering audiences a sophisticated alternative to traditional self-help narratives. On stage, Oliver Burkeman is best known for talks on Science, Psychology & Neuroscience and Wellbeing. Audiences leave with a clear, practical view of the subject rather than a generic overview — every keynote is shaped around the brief and the room. Their work resonates with leaders across Education and Personal Development, where the themes translate directly into team decisions, customer experience and growth strategy. Oliver Burkeman is regularly booked for Business Speaker, adapting tone, length and format to suit the event — from a 20-minute opener to a full conference keynote with Q&A. Based in UK, Oliver Burkeman travels internationally for engagements. To check availability or request a tailored brief for your event, send an enquiry and we'll come back with fees, dates and a short summary of how Oliver Burkeman would approach your audience.