We were recently asked on a podcast: If you could invite five economists to dinner, who would they be? Here’s our dream guest list:

Mary Paley – The first woman lecturer in economics in the UK. Her pioneering role deserves recognition not only for her academic contributions but also for opening doors for women in the field.

Arthur Lewis – The first Black lecturer in the UK and a Nobel Laureate whose work reshaped development economics. His focus on the Global South makes him a powerful voice in conversations about equity and opportunity.

Claudia Goldin – Winner of the 2023 Nobel Prize in Economics. Goldin’s groundbreaking research on gender wage gaps and the motherhood penalty has brought long-overdue recognition to the structural challenges women face in the labour market.

Adam Smith – The father of modern economics. We’d love to hear his take on the digital economy, rising inequality, and the moral dimensions of today’s markets.

John Maynard Keynes – A transformative thinker whose ideas on government intervention, fiscal policy, and uncertainty helped shape modern macroeconomics. His insights would be invaluable in today’s world of economic shocks and global crises.


We’d love to hear these thinkers in conversation—bringing together foundational ideas, underrepresented voices, and visions for how economics can respond to the challenges of our time.