As President of the Society (2009-2012) Michael Palin introduced a new series Michael meets… in which he talked to the sort of people he meets on his travels. "Not well-known, but with great stories to tell."

An article on the series appeared in Geographical Magazine in February 2010 (PDF).

Events in the series

Michael Meets… Mahjabeen Khan

In May 2011 a fellow traveller on his Himalaya series, Mahjabeen Khan ("Moni" to everyone) spoke with Michael about her life as a musician and journalist in Bangladesh, and as an ambassador's wife in Washington and Bangkok. Moni is Vice-President of her country's National Crafts Council and in 1999 was co-ordinator of the Bangladesh Festival organised by London-based Arts Worldwide. Michael and Moni discussed Bangladeshi culture, politics and music, and re-lived their journey together through the Ganges Delta in 2004.

Michael meets... Raja Shehadeh

Michael was in conversation with Raja Shehadeh, a lawyer, passionate hill walker and author of the highly-praised Strangers In The House and Palestinian Walks, about his journey through the Great Rift
Valley and his own feelings on walking and travel. (November 2010).

Michael meets... Maan Barua

In February 2010 Michael spoke to Maan Barua, who guided him down the Brahmaputra on the Himalaya series.

Michael meets... Musa Ibrahim

The series began in November 2009 when Michael spoke to Musa about his extraordinary journey from Somalia to Britain. An eloquent insight into what it means to be a refugee and a way of looking at our world through someone else’s eyes.