Apr 27, 2017
The podcast returns! And we're back with a corker - the first of our run of talks under the banner of the Edinburgh International Science Festival. First up is QI Elf and ex-London copper Stevyn Colgan. Stevyn was a police officer in Scotland Yard for 20 years, as part of the Problem Solving Unit finding imaginative solutions to quell tensions in communities, from dog shows to lollipops.
Stevyn Colgan is an author, artist, public speaker and oddly-spelled Cornishman. He has, among other things, been a chef, a brewer, a comics publisher and – for three decades - a police officer in London, during which time he was set on fire twice, was sworn at by a royal, met two US Presidents and a Pope, was kissed by Princess Diana and let Freddie Mercury wear his helmet. He is a visiting lecturer at a number of UK universities and is a regular speaker at UK and international events such as TED, HybridConf, 5x15, QEDcon, the Ig Nobel Prizes, Latitude, the Hay Festival and the Edinburgh Fringe.
He has appeared on numerous podcasts and radio shows including Freakonomics, Do The Right Thing, Ex Libris, No Such Thing As A Fish, Little Atoms and Josie Lawrence’s Short Cuts. He is also one of the ‘Elves’ that research and write the multi award-winning BBC TV series QI and was part of the writing team that won the Rose D’or for BBC Radio 4’s The Museum of Curiosity.
Find him on Twitter @StevynColgan.