Available to book
Nihal Arthanayake
Communication
Diversity and Inclusion
Transform workplace conversations with Nihal Arthanayake, speaker and communication expert. Nihal works with organisations to enhance interview skills, improve diversity representation, and develop authentic dialogue techniques, delivering award-winning insights recognised by BBC and major media institutions.
Podcast
Broadcaster
Humanitarian
Author
Influencer
Music Business
Nihal Arthanayake is an accomplished broadcaster and TV presenter, renowned for his engaging, insightful conversations that have shaped British media. With over 25 years in the industry, he has become one of the UK's most distinctive voices. Nihal's career began in the music industry as a recording artist and publicist before transitioning to broadcasting, where he made his mark at BBC Radio 1, co-hosting Asian Beats and later presenting BBC Radio 1's Review and Radio 5 Live's Afternoon Show.
His diverse broadcasting portfolio also includes hosting his own Penguin Podcast and award-winning documentaries for BBC Radio 4, BBC World Service, and BBC Radio 2. In 2019, Nihal's excellence in interviewing was recognised with the Interview of the Year award at the BBC Radio & Music Awards. He is known for his unique ability to conduct thoughtful, engaging interviews with individuals from a wide range of fields, from musicians and politicians to celebrities and ordinary people.
He has also become an advocate for diversity, frequently challenging institutions on the need for greater ethnic representation in media, as evidenced by his leadership roles on advisory boards for the BBC and his candid writings in The Guardian and GQ. In 2022, Nihal published Let's Talk: How to Have Better Conversations, which combines his experiences as an interviewer with insights into the psychology of communication. The book has been lauded as both a practical guide and an invigorating manifesto for fostering better dialogues in a fragmented world. Beyond his media career, Nihal is a trustee for several charitable organisations, including Home in Manchester, and an ambassador for the British Asian Trust. His contribution to communication and culture was recognised with an Honorary Doctorate in Communications in 2023.
Book Nihal Arthanayake to inspire your team with his unparalleled storytelling and communication skills. His insights on fostering meaningful conversations will transform your workplace culture, enhance collaboration, and drive engagement. With a wealth of experience across media, Nihal captivates audiences, making him an invaluable addition to any event.
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Email nihal.arthanayake@getapeptalk.com or call PepTalk on +44 20 3835 2929 (UK) or +1 737 888 5112 (US), and one of our speaker agents will contact you within hours to confirm Nihal's availability and fees. If you can, please include your budget upfront – it helps us fast-track your request. It’s also helpful to know the date, format (virtual or in-person), location, and a bit about your audience.
Nihal Arthanayake draws on his 25-year career as a broadcaster and interviewer to frame talks around the mechanics of conversation, referencing material from his 2022 book Let's Talk: How to Have Better Conversations, which combines first-hand interviewing experience with findings from communication psychology.
Nihal Arthanayake speaks on communication, the psychology of conversation, and diversity and representation in media. He received the Interview of the Year award at the BBC Radio & Music Awards in 2019 and holds an Honorary Doctorate in Communications, awarded in 2023.
No. PepTalk adds no booking fee, so you pay the speaker's fee and nothing beyond it. The service, from shortlist through to contracts and event-day logistics, is included. For repeat or multi-event bookings, PepTalk can agree preferential rates with your procurement team.
Share your event date, audience, format, objectives and budget, and PepTalk sends a hand-picked shortlist within 24 hours. Each suggestion comes with a profile, a fee and a recommendation on the strongest fit. Once you choose, PepTalk handles contracts, travel and logistics through to event day.
The typical fee range is the speaker's standard in-person fee in their home market, shown in their local currency. It moves with format, location, date and session length: virtual sessions and shorter slots usually cost less, while international travel and peak dates cost more. Send your brief to PepTalk and the team will confirm the exact fee in your currency.
Not all of them, and it makes no difference to your booking. PepTalk's network of 15,000+ speakers covers talent the team works with directly alongside speakers represented by agents and agencies worldwide. PepTalk approaches the speaker, negotiates the fee and handles contracting either way.
Three to six months ahead is comfortable for most events, and 12 months is better for large conferences, peak-season dates or one specific in-demand speaker. Shorter timelines are workable, and PepTalk regularly fills last-minute and replacement bookings within days. Availability is the constraint, so get in touch as soon as you have a date.
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