This weekend, FT Weekend editor Alec Russell brings us to Albania for Lunch with the FT. He sits down with writer Lea Ypi, whose memoir ‘Free’ documents her childhood there, both under communism and after its fall. Ypi, a political theorist at the London School of Economics asks: does capitalism make us free? Plus: European tech correspondent Madhumita Murgia explores how science fiction shapes our attitudes towards the future, and how that translates across different cultures.

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Do you want to read the Financial Times? We have special discounts for listeners here: http://ft.com/weekendpodcast

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Want to say hi? We love hearing from you. Email us at ftweekendpodcast@ft.com. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap.

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Exciting news! Lea Ypi will be speaking at the first FT Weekend Festival to be hosted in the US. To attend (virtually or in person) go to http://ft.weekendfestival.com – with 10% off using the discount code FTFriends2022. It’s on Saturday May 7th at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC.

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Links and mentions from the episode:

–Alec Russell’s Lunch with Lea Ypi: https://on.ft.com/3GHmi1J

–FT review of Lea Ypi’s memoir Free: https://www.ft.com/content/b5455f0f-33a9-480e-9027-6884cc25faa4

–Madhu on how science fiction shapes our attitudes to the future: https://www.ft.com/content/2f35be37-9da8-4cf6-89b2-8488b36c5a63

–Madhu recommends the book Exhalation by Ted Chiang

–Chen Qiufan’s latest book is caled AI2041: Ten Visions for ur Future, co-authored with Kai-Fu Lee

– This weekend’s Lunch with the FT, with Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas: https://www.ft.com/content/098ba985-1284-46c6-9abe-f626fa9e47f0

– Lunch with the Financial Times, edited by Lionel Barber, a selection of classic lunches: https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/309/309448/lunch-with-the-ft/9780241400685.html

Alec is on Twitter at @AlecuRussell, and Madhu is at @madhumita29.

"Long Live Enver Hoxha!" copyright Believe Music and UMPG Publishing. "Astroboy" Copyright Tezuka Productions Co. Clip: AP Archive

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Lea Ypi talks capitalism and freedom