Under The Spell

In this episode of Under the Spell, Michael Avery sits down with Professor Andrew Forbes, a distinguished physicist and a central figure in South Africa’s quantum strategy, to go beneath the headlines and the hype surrounding the most successful yet deeply confusing theory in science. While the world is currently swept up in the fervour of artificial intelligence, we explore the emerging frontier...

In this episode of Under the Spell, Michael Avery sits down with Professor Johannes Slabber, a titan of nuclear engineering, to deconstruct the cloud of uncertainty that has hung over nuclear power since the atomic age began. While the world searches for a carbon-free future, we explore why our collective memory remains trapped in the shadow of Hiroshima and the persistent myth that atomic energy...

In this week's edition of Under the Spell, Michael Avery sits down with David Buckham to dissect the "nerve" they have hit in the global cultural psyche. As the S&P reaches all time highs and markets remain in thrall to artificial intelligence, we look beneath the surface of the "SaaS Pocalypse" to ask if we are merely repeating the stock market madness of the past. In this episode, we explore...

The Green Revolution: A double-edged sword In the third episode of Under the Spell season 2, host Michael Avery and Doctor Tinashe Kapuya peel back the scientific veneer of the Green Revolution to reveal the winners and losers in Africa's food systems. For decades, the story of modern agriculture has been told as a triumph of science over hunger. We are promised that improved seeds, synthetic fert...

In the second episode of Under the Spell season 2, host Michael Avery and Professor Manoel Bittencourt peel back the layers of global finance to examine the true legacy of the World Bank. For decades, the World Bank has presented itself as a moral guardian of progress and a champion of poverty reduction. However, as the global South continues to grapple with the weight of "conditional" finance, we...

Is AGI the new Frontier, or the ultimate grand narrative? In the premiere episode of Under the Spell season 2, host Michael Avery and author David Buckham dive beneath the surface of the AI frenzy to ask the questions the tech world is too breathless to answer. At the start of 2026, the global economy is effectively a giant bet on Artificial General Intelligence. But as we race toward a world of "...

There are many who would argue that humanity is at the apex of it’s progression. However, when you dig deeper into those narratives, as David Buckham did while writing The Spell, you start to realise there are several flaws to that logic. Find out more at thespell.co.za

Professor Gumede shares his thoughts on South Africa’s need to innovate – and how reading books like The Spell can help us to think more innovatively. Visit thespell.co.za for more

The problem with apocalyptic thinking. David Buckham, co-author of The Spell, unpacks the cognitive dissonance of so many common day narratives, from climate change to AI. To learn more visit thespell.co.za.

'The Spell' publisher, Tim Richman, shares his thoughts on a fascinating question: "is the story more powerful than the facts?" He offers a publisher's perspective on the core themes of 'The Spell', the journey of what goes into making a book like this, and the delicate line between history and the truth. To learn more visit thespell.co.za.

Hypocrisy, contradictions, polarisation, opposing narratives – we ask established journalist, Simon Brown, how he makes sense of the world and whether reading The Spell helped. To learn more visit thespell.co.za.

'The Spell' gives a narrative on how humans make sense of themselves through stories. Zolile Zikode notes how the book traces Western thought from the Ancient Greeks to the present day. It shows how politics, religion, and science try to answer one question: What does it mean to be human? This is a read for anyone curious about why societies repeat mistakes and how narratives control human destiny...

How are our narratives formed in the modern era? We stop to unpack this hard-hitting topic with Mbali Shamu’s fresh perspective. To find out more about the themes explored in The Spell, visit www.thespell.co.za.

The Spell invites readers into a world of bold ideas and thought-provoking themes. In this interview, Steven Mitchell, Head of Marketing at Monocle Solutions, shares his perspective on the book’s central messages and why it’s already sparking important conversations. Explore the ideas shaping conversations around The Spell at www.thespell.co.za.

What does one of South Africa’s pre-imminent intellectuals think of The Spell? We Sit down with Professor William Gumede, Associate Director at Wits to understand why he believes it is so important for young people to read books like The Spell. To find out more about the themes explored in The Spell, visit www.thespell.co.za.

We are joined on Under the Spell by renowned financial journalist, Michael Avery, to talk about truth, human progress and societal upliftment. To find out more about the themes explored in The Spell, visit www.thespell.co.za.

Welcome to the very first episode of the ‘Under the Spell’ podcast series, where we are joined by David Buckham, co-author of the book The Spell, to unpack his journey and insights gained from writing the book. To find out more about ‘The Spell’, visit www.thespell.co.za.