Why does every app, website and platform seem to get worse over time? Writer, activist and technology critic Cory Doctorow joins us to discuss Enshittification, his urgent and entertaining exploration of how the digital services we rely on have become increasingly frustrating, exploitative and difficult to escape. Doctorow, who coined the now-famous term "enshittification", traces the rise of Big Tech monopolies and reveals how platforms that once served users gradually began serving advertisers, shareholders and themselves instead. Combining razor-sharp analysis with wit, optimism and practical solutions, he argues that this decline is not inevitable and need not be permanent. Essential for anyone who has ever shouted at an algorithm, abandoned a social media platform or wondered where the internet went wrong. FIND OUT MORE Events last one hour unless otherwise stated, followed by a book signing in The Clearing. Our official bookseller is Waterstones. Folkestone Book Festival is our annual celebration of stories, ideas and conversation by the sea. Curated by novelist Sophie Haydock (The Flames, Madame Matisse), this year’s festival brings together more than 60 events across two weeks, welcoming world-class writers, thinkers and storytellers to Folkestone. Discover another event, browse the bookshop, explore Folkestone’s vibrant arts scene, independent cafés, bars and galleries, and share the experience with a friend. The best festivals are as much about the conversations between events as those on stage. The Festival is part of Folkestone is a Library, our ambitious town-wide celebration of reading, writing and storytelling, helping make Folkestone one of the UK’s most exciting literary destinations. We believe great conversations should be for everyone, which is why every event includes a £5 Cost of Living Ticket, available with no questions asked. Please help us spread the word. Together, we’re building a thriving community of readers, writers and curious minds. Folkestone Book Festival is proudly supported by Eurotunnel, Canterbury Christ Church University, Holiday Extras, and the Friends of Folkestone Book Festival. Creative Folkestone is supported by Arts Council England, Folkestone & Hythe District Council and Saga. Founding Funder The Roger De Haan Charitable Trust.

An interdisciplinary network of academics, artists and authors, convened at Hertford College, University of Oxford.

We are excited to announce that Cory Doctorow will be joining us at Victoria on 25th November, talking about the fact that today, it's not enough to ask what the technology does – we must understand who it’s doing it for and who it’s doing it to.As we enter the age of AI, we are in danger of being reduced to what Cory Doctorow dubs the ‘reverse centaur’. With that term he conjures a human being conscripted as the assistant to a dominant machine. It could be a driver made to deliver nonstop, all day long; a warehouse worker packing shelves without bathroom or food breaks; or a programmer reviewing impossible amounts of AI-produced code.Don’t fall for the hype. The billionaires managing the rise of AI are putting on a command performance for the bosses and investors, not for the ordinary people who might use the products. When this latest tech bubble bursts, will there be something useful for us in the wreckage?In The Reverse Centaur’s Guide to Life After AI, Doctorow examines why we find ourselves in this mess and how we can get out of it. Life after AI should mean the tools work for us, not the other way around. CORY DOCTOROW is a science fiction author, activist, and journalist. He is the author of many books. He writes nonfiction policy books such as The Internet Con and Chokepoint Capitalism, as well as science fiction for adults – Red Team Blues and The Lost Cause – and for young adults – Little Brother. He has been inducted into the Canadian Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame and has been honored with the Arthur C. Clarke Imagination in Service to Society Award and the Neil Postman Award for Career Achievement in Public Intellectual Activity. He was made an honorary Doctor of Laws by York University and an Honorary Doctor of Computer Science by the Open University. For a quarter century, he has been an activist for the Electronic Frontier Foundation. He co-founded the UK Open Rights Group and holds visiting appointments at the Open University, MIT, Cornell, and the University of North Carolina. Born in Toronto, Canada, he now lives in Burbank, California.Timetable for the evening:6:30 - Arrival at Victoria, get a drink and find a seat (seating is unreserved but there will be plenty for everyone)6:45 - Conversation begins7:30 - Time for audience questions7:45 - Book signing in the bar downstairs The event space is upstairs at Victoria and there is a lift and stairs. If you have any access requirements, please get in touch at hello@junobooks.co.uk and we will do our best to accommodate.

Cory Doctorow will be the keynote speaker at BC Policy Solutions fundraising Gala in Vancouver on November 12, 2026. Get your tickets today!

This speaking engagement is focused on the topic of Cory's most recent book Enshittification: Why Everything Suddenly Got Worse and What To Do About It.This talk will also include an opportunity for questions from the…

A New York Times BestsellerWinner of the 2026 Locus Award for NonfictionEnshittification: It’s not just you—the internet sucks now. It’s been enshittif...

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Cory Doctorow talks to us about the internet, whether machines are conscious, why copyright maximalism won’t save us from ChatGPT, and why workers still have a chance to shape what comes next.