Michael Lewis on Musk, Trump, DOGE, and the Deep State

Michael Lewis is coming to St George's Bristol on Sunday 15 November, 7.30pm, to talk about his new book, Blockers. If you've read Liar's Poker or The Big Short, you'll know the territory he works in: the intersection of high finance, power, and the people who think they're running the show.

Blockers turns that focus on Elon Musk's DOGE and what it says about Donald Trump's second term and Musk's support for far-right movements. The story is framed around the 'Blockers' — the unsung figures inside the American government who stood up to Musk and the forces he unleashed. Lewis describes the book as a thriller about unlikely rebels and power-drunk villains, and the talk draws on that material.

It's a natural fit for him. Lewis has spent over thirty years exposing the inner workings of high finance, baseball, and presidential campaigns. He's chronicled the chaos of Trump's first term and the rise and fall of crypto tycoon Sam Bankman-Fried, and he's been a contributing editor at Vanity Fair since 2009, writing mostly on business, finance, and economics. This is him applying that same approach to the current moment.

The talk is in the Main Hall of St George's Bristol, Great George Street, BS1 5RR. It's suitable for ages 14 and over, and you can pre-order food and drink from the Café Bar before the event. Tickets are £54.50 including fees, which includes a copy of the book.