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DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20250529T193000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20250529T210000
DTSTAMP:20250624T084458
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SUMMARY:BOOK LAUNCH: ANDREW DOYLE'S 'THE END OF WOKE'
DESCRIPTION:BOOK LAUNCH \n**NOW IN-PERSON AND ONLINE**\nTHE END OF WOKE by ANDREW DOYLE\nCHANGE OF DATE: Thursday 29th May 7.30pm\nPrince Phillip House\, 3 Carlton House Terrace\, London SW1Y 5DG. \nInterview with Andrew Doyle and Q and A\, 7.30pm to 9pm. Reception to follow.\nTICKETS HERE: Free Speech Union Members: £12; Non-members: £20; Students: £14. \nONLINE ATTENDANCE: FREE AND EXCLUSIVE TO FSU MEMBERS. Online Audience Q and A will be possible. REGISTER ONLINE USING THE LINK PROVIDED IN FSU’S WEEKLY NEWSLETTER AND EMAILS FROM FSU EVENTS. \nSigned copies of The End of Woke can be purchased here. \nWriter\, broadcaster and comedian Andrew Doyle joins FSU Members for an exclusive online launch of his latest book\, The End of Woke. The event will take place on the day of the book’s release—you can buy a copy on the night if you would like to get it signed by the author or pre-order a copy here. \nAbout THE END OF WOKE by Andrew Doyle \nA revelatory investigation into the rise and fall of the ‘woke’ movement and how we can prevent it from happening again. \nIt is no secret that we are in the midst of a cultural revolution. Activists in the ‘woke’ movement have claimed to be on the right side of history\, and yet their approach has been intolerant\, intemperate and\, above all\, illiberal. Having dominated the western world for the past fifteen years\, there are clear signs the woke are now losing their power. The re-election of Donald Trump\, the scaling back of DEI initiatives\, and a growing awareness of the threats to women’s sex-based rights has stirred a counter-revolution. But is this truly the end of woke? Or have the culture wars merely evolved? \nIn The End of Woke\, Doyle skilfully examines the mechanisms underlying the zealous extremes on both the left and the right. He shows that\, in a desperate power struggle to re-assert liberal values\, some leaders of the anti-woke movement have found themselves adopting a different kind of authoritarian approach – one which also promotes censorship and erodes our freedoms. \nDoyle argues that although authoritarianism is common to all political tribes\, we must resist its pernicious influence wherever it emerges. After all\, replacing one form of tyranny with another will not end the culture wars. But liberalism – true liberalism – might just see the end of woke for good.
URL:https://freespeechunion.org/event/online-book-launch-andrew-doyles-the-end-of-woke/
LOCATION:Prince Phillip House\, 3 Carlton House Terrace\, London\, SW1Y 5DG\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Book Launches & Promotions,Guest Interviews,Online Event
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DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20241014T193000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20241014T223000
DTSTAMP:20250624T084458
CREATED:20240823T111743Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240905T123317Z
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SUMMARY:HOUNDED OUT: DOES PUBLISHING HAVE A FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION PROBLEM?
DESCRIPTION:FSU BOOK LAUNCH\nHounded Out: Does Publishing Have a Freedom of Expression Problem?\nMonday 14th October\, 7.30pm \nLola’s Bar\, Lower Ground Floor\, The Hippodrome Casino\, Main Entrance\, London WC2H 7JH \nSPEAKERS: \nJenny Lindsay\, poet and essayist \nKate Clanchy\, author \nMatthew Hamilton\, literary agent \n  \n“There is more than one way to burn a book. And the world is full of people running about with lit matches”. Ray Bradbury\, 1979 \nFor the past 35 years\, the fatwa against Salman Rushdie and the eventual murderous attack it inspired have served as the ultimate warning to authors. Such extreme threats to the safety of writers have not gone away but as Bradbury realised\, literary censorship can take many forms. Our highest profile children’s author\, J.K. Rowling\, has had her books boycotted and even burned not by regimes but by readers. \nAnd there seems to be a problem within the publishing industry itself. Authors report the subjection of their manuscripts to oversight by sensitivity readers; publishers resile from contracts when controversy arises; grant-giving bodies withdraw support when recipients speak out of line; booksellers\, shop staff and librarians have refused to stock or display books with which they disagree; authors are no-platformed from literary festivals and literary societies which are supposed to defend authors have turned against them. \nA new book by award-winning poet and essayist Jenny Lindsay offers a detailed account of the culture of ‘hounding’ that those accused of holding heretical beliefs have experienced\, many of them writers and including herself.  Hounded: Women\, Harms and the Gender Wars is described by academic Professor Sarah Pedersen as ‘an excellent and profoundly angering analysis’ and by philosopher Kathleen Stock\, who really was ‘hounded out’ of academia\, as a ‘shocking compendium’. \nJoin us to hear Jenny Lindsay discuss the issues in the publishing world with literary agent Matthew Hamilton and Orwell prize-winning  author Kate Clanchy. \nMatthew has gone to bat for numerous fiction and non-fiction authors who have been threatened with cancellation and is on the Free Speech Union’s Writers’ Advisory Council. In 2021\, Kate Clanchy notoriously had her contract ended by her publisher of 25 years\, Picador\, after online reviewers accused her bestselling teaching memoir Some Kids I Taught and What They Taught Me of ‘racism’ and ‘ableism’. Despite the support of many of the former pupils described in the book\, all her works were de-published\, in a case which sent concerned waves throughout the publishing world. \nThere will\, of course\, be plenty of time for audience Q and A. \nThe discussion will be followed by a book-signing and social. \nAbout our speakers: \nJenny Lindsay is a poet\, performer and essayist based in Scotland. A formerly celebrated and award-winning producer of live literature events in Scotland\, she is also the author of two full-length and two pamphlet poetry collections\, two poetry/ theatre stage-shows\, and has produced commissioned work across poetry\, prose\, and theatre for numerous publications and institutions including The Dark Horse\, the Edinburgh International Book Festival\, the Irish Pages and the Daily Mail. Her film-poem The Imagined We won the inaugural John Byrne Award for Critical Thinking in 2020. Hounded is her debut non-fiction book. \nKate Clanchy was first published by Picador in 1996. In the following 25 years she won a Forward Prize for Poetry\, a Somerset Maugham and Saltire Award\, the National Short Story Prize and  VS Pritchett Award\, the Writer’s Guild Award and Orwell Prize among many others. In 2018 Picador published England\, Poems from a School\, an anthology of her school pupils’ poetry\, to great acclaim. In 2021 Picador apologised  for ‘the emotional anguish experienced’ by people reading her best-selling teaching memoir\, Some Kids I Taught and What They Taught Me\, and subsequently depublished all her books. Kate is currently working out why and enjoying the experience of being published by Swift Press. \nMatthew Hamilton is a literary agent and the founder of the Hamilton Agency which represents serious and popular non-fiction\, with a particular interest in political writing from across the ideological spectrum\, music\, literary memoir\, biography\, football and entertainment. Recent bestsellers include The War on the West by Douglas Murray\, Colonialism: A Moral Reckoning by Nigel Biggar\, An Immigrant’s Love Letter To The West by Konstantin Kisin and The New Puritans by Andrew Doyle. \nIn-person tickets: \n£10 for FSU members. \n£15 for members of the public. \nPre-order HOUNDED: Women\, Harms and the Gender Wars by Jenny Lindsay for only £10.50 at check-out\, for collection and signing on the night or order it to be delivered (UK only)for £14.50 using this link [to be added after 27/08/2024]. \nOnline tickets: (NON FSU MEMBERS) \nIf you can’t make it to London\, you can join online for £5. (FSU members can join free of charge\, using the link provided in FSU emails). You can order the book for UK delivery here. \nSPECIAL DINING OFFER \nThe Hippodrome invites you to enjoy a meal before or after the event at one of its restaurants. Show your confirmation email to staff to receive a 25% discount at Chop Chop or the Heliot Steakhouse. Both are rated ‘exceptional’ on Opentable\, with Heliot considered one of London’s very best steakhouses and Chop Chop by Four Seasons already hailed as one of the West End’s best Chinese restaurants only a year after launch. Please book here for Chop Chop or here for Heliot then show your confirmation email when you arrive at the restaurant. (Offer eligible only on Monday 14th October 2024.)
URL:https://freespeechunion.org/event/hounded-out-does-publishing-have-a-freedom-of-expression-problem/
LOCATION:Hippodrome\, London\, Little Newport Street\, London\, WC2H 7JH\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Book Launches & Promotions
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DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20240912T193000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20240912T220000
DTSTAMP:20250624T084458
CREATED:20240726T160905Z
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SUMMARY:THE WAR AGAINST THE PAST
DESCRIPTION:FSU BOOK LAUNCH \nThe War Against the Past \nWith Professor Frank Furedi and historian Professor Jonathan Clark  \nLondon and Online  \nTHURSDAY 12TH SEPTEMBER\, 7.30pm  \nA war is being waged against the Past. Whether it’s toppling statues\, decolonising the curriculum or erasing terms from our vocabulary\, a cultural crusade is underway designed to render the past toxic. It is condemned as enemy territory and has become the target of venomous hate. What is at stake in provoking such a strong sense of societal shame towards Western history?\n \nIn his latest book\, The War Against the Past: Why the West Must Fight for its History\, Frank Furedi mounts a fierce defence of the past and calls for a fight back against the delegitimization of its ideals and accomplishments. Casting the past as a story of shame has become a taken-for granted outlook permeating the educational and cultural life of western society from the top down.  Its advocates may see it as a cultural imperative\, but a society that loses touch with its past will face a permanent crisis of identity. Squandering the wisdom provided by our historical inheritance means betraying humanity’s positive achievements. Challenging this great betrayal\, Furedi argues\, is one of the most important battles of our time.  \nJoin us to hear Professor Furedi introduce his book and discuss it with his eminent respondent\, historian Professor Jonathan Clark.   \nThe lecture\, response and Q and A will be followed by a book-signing and wine reception. \nCopies of The War Against the Past will be on sale on the night for £25 or you can purchase it in advance\, for collection on arrival\, at checkout along with your ticket\, for just £20.  \nAlternatively\, you can order a copy for UK delivery\, at £22\, using this link. \nAbout Professor Frank Furedi  \nAuthor of more than 26 books\, Frank Furedi’s studies have been devoted to an exploration of the cultural developments in western societies. In recent years he has published several studies on the impact of the Culture Wars on family life\, socialisation\, education and public life. He is Emeritus Professor of Sociology at the University of Kent.   \n  \nAbout Professor Jonathan Clark  \nEducated at Cambridge\, he was a Fellow of Peterhouse; at Oxford\, he was a Fellow of All Souls College. In the US he was a Visiting Professor at the Committee on Social Thought at Chicago\, and Hall Distinguished Professor of British History at the University of Kansas. His latest book is The Enlightenment: An Idea and its History (OUP).  \n  \nReviews of The War Against the Past:  \n“In this deeply researched and brilliantly written book\, Frank Furedi shines a light on what is at stake in the current war against the past. Young people\, deprived of their cultural heritage\, are left confused and alienated.  The achievements of human civilisation are trashed.  What remains\, if we do not stop this trend\, is nihilism and despair.  Furedi gives a clarion call to action.” Robert Tombs\, University of Cambridge \n“In this important book\, Frank Furedi explains and also refutes the abuse of History by all those who are trying to use the past to further their narrow\, ideological interests. Covering a wide range of issues in politics\, the arts\, language\, and identity\, this is a vital and timely defence of the objective study of the past and will be of relevance to everyone who values evidence and truth in our culture.” Lawrence Goldman\, St. Peter’s College\, Oxford  \n  \nCHAIR:  \nDr Jan Macvarish\, Education and Events Director of the Free Speech Union.  \nIN-PERSON TICKETS: FSU members £10. Non-FSU Members £15. Aged 25 and under £12. Ticket plus donation to the FSU £25. \nThe book will be on sale on the night for £25 or you can purchase it in advance\, for collection on arrival\, at checkout along with your ticket for just £20. \nAlternatively\, you can order a copy for UK delivery\, at £22\, using this link. \nTicket-holders only – NO NEED TO PRINT TICKETS\, WE’LL HAVE A LIST OF REGISTRANTS.  \nOnline attendance is free to FSU members. Please register using the Zoom link supplied in FSU emails.  \nThe Free Speech Union is a non-partisan\, mass membership public interest body that stands up for the speech rights of its members. Find out more here.  \n  \n 
URL:https://freespeechunion.org/event/the-war-against-the-past/
LOCATION:Cavendish Conference Centre\, 22 Duchess Mews\, London\, London\, W1G 9DT\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Book Launches & Promotions,Guest Lectures
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20240603T193000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20240603T210000
DTSTAMP:20250624T084458
CREATED:20240508T173359Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240508T173359Z
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SUMMARY:Online Speakeasy: Dispatches from the Wrong Side of History.
DESCRIPTION:Online Speakeasy: Dispatches from the Wrong Side of History \nMonday 3rd June\, 7.30pm  \nOn Zoom. \nJoin FSU General Secretary Toby Young in conversation with award-winning US writer Nellie Bowles as they discuss her new book\, Morning After the Revolution: Dispatches from the Wrong Side of History.  \nIn the book\, Bowles takes readers inside the world of the elite woke to paint a devastating portrait of a cultural ideology gone awry. With irreverent accounts of attending Robin DiAngelo’s multi-day course on ‘The Toxic Trends of Whiteness\,’ meeting the social justice activists who run ‘Abolitionist Entertainment\, LLC\,’ and navigating the increasingly deranged world of the New York Times\, she deftly exposes the more comic excesses of wealthy progressives. Reporting from the tent cities of San Francisco and visiting Portland streets ravaged by violence\, she reveals the tragic consequences of their hypocrisy.  \nNellie Bowles is a writer living in Los Angeles. Previously\, she was a correspondent at the New York Times where\, as part of a team\, she won the Gerald Loeb Award in the investigative category and the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Journalism Award. Now she is working with her wife to build The Free Press\, a new media company.  \nFSU members can join the event live\, free of charge\, using the link provided in member emails. If you’re not a member\, JOIN TODAY to gain free access to all online events.  \nYou can purchase the book (for UK delivery only) at a discounted rate of £18 here.  \n 
URL:https://freespeechunion.org/event/online-speakeasy-dispatches-from-the-wrong-side-of-history/
LOCATION:Online Event: Zoom
CATEGORIES:Book Launches & Promotions
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DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20240415T193000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20240415T223000
DTSTAMP:20250624T084458
CREATED:20240314T100518Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240314T100643Z
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SUMMARY:LIONEL SHRIVER in conversation with Toby Young
DESCRIPTION:In conversation: LIONEL SHRIVER and Toby Young\nDATE: Monday 15th April\, 2024 \nCome along for a very special FSU Speakeasy in a great venue\, to hear author LIONEL SHRIVER in conversation with FSU General Secretary Toby Young. They will discuss Lionel’s new book\, MANIA. \nIn a reality not too distant from our own\, the so-called Mental Parity Movement has taken hold and the worst thing you can call someone is ‘stupid’. Everyone is equally clever\, and discrimination based on intelligence is ‘the last great civil rights fight’. \nExams and grades are all discarded\, and smart phones are rebranded. Children are expelled for saying the S-word and encouraged to report parents for using it. You don’t need a qualification to be a doctor. \nBest friends since adolescence\, Pearson and Emory find themselves on opposing sides of this new culture war. Radio personality Emory – who has built her career riding the tide of popular thought – makes increasingly hard-line statements while\, for her part\, Pearson believes the whole thing is ludicrous. \nAs their friendship fractures\, Pearson’s determination to cling onto the ‘old\, bigoted way of thinking’ begins to endanger her job\, her safety and even her family. \nLionel turns her piercing gaze on the policing of opinion and intellect\, and imagines a world in which intellectual meritocracy is heresy. Hilarious\, deadpan\, scathing and at times frighteningly plausible\, MANIA will delight the many fans of her fiction and journalism alike. \nThere will\, of course\, be an audience Q and A. \nVENUE: Lola’s Bar\, Lower Ground Floor\, The Hippodrome\, Main Entrance\, London WC2H 7JH. \nTIME: 7pm doors open. 7.30pm until 9pm conversation and Q & A\, followed by book signing and social until 10.30pm. \nStrictly over-18s only. Physical photographic I.D. must be provided on entry (photographs on devices will not suffice). \nTicket-holders only. \nIN-PERSON TICKETS (WELCOME DRINK INCLUDED): \nFSU Members: £10 \nNon FSU Members Entrance only: £15 \nPurchase MANIA with your ticket and collect on the night: £16 \nPurchase MANIA on the night: £20 (RRP is £22) \nZOOM OPTION: \nFree and exclusive to all FSU members — link to register provided in FSU newsletters. \nFSU members can also buy a signed copy of MANIA at a discounted price\, including UK delivery\, of £20\, if pre-ordered before Sunday 14th April. Link to purchase provided in FSU newsletters. \nAbout our speakers: \nAlthough LIONEL SHRIVER has published many novels\, a collection of essays\, and a column in the Spectator since 2017\, and her journalism has featured in publications including the Guardian\, the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal\, she in no way wishes for the inclusion of this information to imply that she is more ‘intelligent’ or ‘accomplished’ than anyone else. The outdated meritocracy of intellectual achievement has made her a bestseller multiple times and accorded her awards including the Orange Prize\, but she accepts that all of these accidental accolades are basically meaningless. She lives in Portugal and Brooklyn\, New York. \nTOBY YOUNG is the General Secretary of the Free Speech Union\, a non-partisan\, mass membership public interest body that stands up for the speech rights of its members. He co-founded four schools and a multi-academy trust in West London\, served as a Fulbright Commissioner and is the author of four books\, the best known of which is How to Lose Friends & Alienate People (2001). He is an associate editor of the Spectator\, where he’s written a weekly column since 1998\, and Editor-in-Chief of the Daily Sceptic. He was formerly an Associate Editor of Quillette and is the author or co-author of a number of peer-reviewed academic articles. \nSPECIAL DINING OFFER \nThe Hippodrome invites you to enjoy a meal before or after the event at one of its restaurants. Show your confirmation email to staff to receive a 20% discount at Chop Chop or the Heliot Steakhouse. Both are rated ‘exceptional’ on Opentable\, with Heliot considered one of London’s very best steakhouses and Chop Chop by Four Seasons already hailed as one of the West End’s best Chinese restaurants only a year after launch. Please book here for Chop Chop or here for Heliot then show your confirmation email when you arrive at the restaurant. (Offer eligible only on Monday 15th April 2024.)
URL:https://freespeechunion.org/event/lionel-shriver-in-conversation-with-toby-young/
LOCATION:Hippodrome\, London\, Little Newport Street\, London\, WC2H 7JH\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Book Launches & Promotions,Guest Interviews
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DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20240318T193000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20240318T213000
DTSTAMP:20250624T084458
CREATED:20240219T153139Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240222T105954Z
UID:10000069-1710790200-1710797400@freespeechunion.org
SUMMARY:Race\, Identity Politics and the New Conformity.
DESCRIPTION:Race\, identity politics and the new conformity  \nDATE: Monday 18th March  \nVENUE: The Hall\, The Art Workers’ Guild\, 6 Queen Square\, London WC1N 3AT  \nTIME: Event starts 7.30pm (doors open 7pm\, please arrive by 7.15pm).  \nFREE GLASS OF WINE ON ARRIVAL.  \nIN-PERSON TICKETS: FSU members £10. Non-FSU Members £16. Aged 25 and under £12. Discount tickets for Equiano Project Supporters (check emails for details). Ticket plus donation to the FSU £25.  \nTicket-holders only – NO NEED TO PRINT TICKETS\, WE’LL HAVE A LIST OF REGISTRANTS.  \nZOOM OPTION: Free to FSU members and Equiano Project Supporters (check emails for details).  Otherwise\, £10\, please register here. \nFor free and discounted tickets to FSU events\, consider joining the Free Speech Union today.  \n————  \nThe accusation ‘that’s racist’ has become one of the most powerful silencing tools in recent years\, yet we have never been so confused about what racism is. It has been thrown even at those avowedly opposed to racism and at people of colour\, insulted as ‘coconuts’\, ‘Uncle Toms’ or worse. Often\, the targets of the ‘racist’ slur are individuals who take issue with the new and bewildering orthodoxies of the new ‘anti-racist activism’ shaped by identity politics and ‘critical race theory’.  \nIt can sometimes seem as though contemporary ‘anti-racism’ has morphed into its opposite: from a movement for equal treatment and the transcendence of ‘race’ as a distorting prism through which to view the world\, to the formation of new hierarchies along the lines of racialised identities\, life experiences or even opinion.  \nThe launch of a new book\, Black Success: The Surprising Truth\, by Lord Tony Sewell\, a long-standing independent thinker on the subject of race\, provides us with an opportunity to discuss these developments. Lord Sewell’s book weaves together memoir and polemic to challenge the shibboleths of contemporary racialised thinking. He argues in favour of rejecting victimhood and low expectations and embracing high ambitions\, pushing towards a collective humanity. The book is the perfect riposte to the storm of criticism that met the Sewell Report on racial disparities.  \nThe book will be on sale on the night and Lord Sewell will be signing copies.  \nLord Sewell will be joined in discussion by journalist\, commentator and Equiano Project founder\, Inaya Folarin Iman and musician and champion of free speech and genuine equality\, Sean Corby.  \n  \nSpeakers  \nBorn in Brixton\, Lord Tony Sewell CBE has been a journalist\, teacher and education expert. He was part of the team responsible for driving the transformation of Hackney’s education outcomes in the early 2000s\, and his charity Generating Genius has helped hundreds of young black people into STEM in business and academia. He was recently chair of the UK’s government’s Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities\, the recommendations of which are now the foundations of the government’s policy on tackling racial inequalities. He was awarded a CBE for his work on education and was elevated to the House of Lords in 2022. In 2022 he began his latest project\, a farming enterprise in Jamaica.  \n  \nInaya Folarin Iman is a broadcast journalist and contributing editor at the Daily Mail. She is a regular commentator across leading political and cultural radio and TV programmes. She is the Founder and Director of The Equiano Project\, a forum to promote freedom of speech and open dialogue on the subjects of race\, identity and culture. She co-programmed and co-designed the historic Towards the Common Good: Rethinking Race in the 21st Century at the University of Cambridge in 2023.  \n  \nSean Corby is a musician who has recorded and performed with the likes of Jah Wobble\, Gregory Isaacs\, Manic St Preachers\, Mica Paris\, and Jazz Warriors. Sean also worked as a conciliator for ACAS\, but\, after he posted articles and quotes on the staff intranet which challenged what he saw as the divisive racial politics of critical race theory\, some of his colleagues vilified him and his employer asked him to delete his contributions. Sean refused\, on principle\, and succeeded in establishing through a 2023 Employment Tribunal that a universalist\, colour-blind approach to anti-racism is a protected ‘philosophical belief’ under the Equality Act\, an important ruling for the protection of diversity of thought. You can read about Sean’s case here and subscribe to his blog here.  \nCHAIR:  \nDr Jan Macvarish\, Education and Events Director of the Free Speech Union.  \nThe Free Speech Union is a non-partisan\, mass membership public interest body that stands up for the speech rights of its members. Find out more here. 
URL:https://freespeechunion.org/event/race-identity-politics-and-the-new-conformity/
LOCATION:The Art Workers’ Guild\, 6 Queen Square\, London\, WC1N 3AT\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Book Launches & Promotions
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20240222T190000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20240222T220000
DTSTAMP:20250624T084458
CREATED:20240125T170630Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240208T123204Z
UID:10000067-1708628400-1708639200@freespeechunion.org
SUMMARY:Cambridge Speakeasy
DESCRIPTION:Net Zero or Not Zero: Can we debate climate change?\nThursday 22nd February\, 2024  \nPanel debate and Q and A from 7pm until 8.45pm\, social until 10pm.  \nThe Clayton Hotel\, Garden Suite\,  27-29 Station Road\, Cambridge\, CB1 2FB.  \n(A two-minute walk from Cambridge Station).  \nGET TICKETS: FSU Member £5. Non-FSU Member £10. Student £3.  \nPopular challenges to Net Zero targets are growing around the world. Most dramatically\, European farmers have blockaded city streets in their tractors\, but closer to home\, we have seen anti-ULEZ and anti-LTN protests taking place around the UK\, including Cambridge. But very often\, those who question national and global responses to climate change are traduced and stigmatised as ‘deniers’\, accused of being motivated by ignorance\, ideology or vested interests.   \nHow and why did the scientific study of climate become so politicised and why has this given rise to such rigid political and ideological orthodoxy?   \nThe launch\, in paperback\, of Ross Clark’s book Not Zero:  How an Irrational Target Will Impoverish You\, Help China (and Won’t Even Save the Planet) provides an ideal opportunity for these questions to be debated.  \nAbout the book: \n “devastating and detailed…compulsory reading for everybody in government and the media” Matt Ridley \n“a must-read for those involved in the climate debate” Emeritus Professor Michael Kelly\, former Prince Philip Professor of Technology at the University of Cambridge.  \nThe book will be on sale on the night and Ross will be signing copies.  \nOn Thursday 22nd February\, the Free Speech Union brings together a panel of speakers\, including Ross\, who insist that the science of climate change and policy responses to it must be open to debate and democratic accountability.  \nSpeakers confirmed so far:  \nRoss Clark is a prolific freelance journalist who is leader-writer on the Spectator as well as a columnist for the Telegraph\, Daily Mail and Express.  He is the author of several books including The Denial\, a satirical climate change novel\, and The War Against Cash. Follow Ross on X/Twitter: @RossjournoClark  \nHarry Wilkinson is head of policy at the Global Warming Policy Foundation (GWPF) and sister organisation Net Zero Watch. He is also a policy adviser to Craig Mackinlay MP\, who chairs the Net Zero Scrutiny Group in Parliament. Previously he was researcher to the late Nigel Lawson has written for a number of publications including CapX\, The Conservative Woman\, Global Vision and 1828. Follow Harry on X/Twitter: @HarryWilkinsonn  \nAustin Williams is the director of the Future Cities Project\, author of several books\, including “China’s Urban Revolution: Understanding Chinese Eco-cities”\, “Enemies of Progress: The Dangers of Sustainability”\, and co-author of “The Lure of the City: From Slums to Suburbs”. He is chair of Bookshop Barnies and has written for magazines as diverse as Nature\, Wired\, Top Gear\, South China Morning Post\, Metropolis\, Times Literary Supplement\, The Spectator and The Economist.. Follow Austin on X/ Twitter: @Future_Cities 
URL:https://freespeechunion.org/event/cambridge-speakeasy/
LOCATION:The Garden Suite\, Clayton Hotel Cambridge\, 27-29 Station Rd\,\, Cambridge\, Cambridge\, CB1 2FB
CATEGORIES:Book Launches & Promotions,Regional Speakeasies
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DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20230705T190000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20230705T203000
DTSTAMP:20250624T084458
CREATED:20230727T112402Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230914T133854Z
UID:10000044-1688583600-1688589000@freespeechunion.org
SUMMARY:Unfair Play: The Battle for Women's Sport and Against Attempts to Silence its Champions
DESCRIPTION:Wednesday 5th July\, in-person in Central London or Online \n  \n\n\nOf all the issues thrown up by the rise of gender ideology and the push for trans-inclusivity\, safety and fairness in women’s sport is probably the one that has most grabbed mainstream public attention. And yet\, too often\, debate has been shut down and those who raise questions have been de-legitimised and accused of ‘transphobia’. \n\n\nOne of the most impressively stalwart campaigners\, working to keep the debate open\, is British Olympic swimmer Sharron Davies MBE. Sharron is a legendary British Olympian\, the UK’s top female swimmer throughout the 80s. In 1980\, she won Olympic Silver (losing out only to a drugs cheat). She has since become a leading BBC sports pundit. \n\n\nThe Free Speech Union is therefore delighted to host the official launch of Sharron’s new book\, Unfair Play: The Battle for Women’s Sport\, written with award-winning sports correspondent Craig Lord. \n\n\n IN-PERSON tickets\, with a discount price for FSU members and a celebratory wine reception\, can be purchased here: \n  \n\n\nhttps://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/in-person-tickets-unfair-play-sharron-davies-book-launch-tickets-641173155167 \n\n\nFSU members who prefer to join ONLINE\, should register free of charge\, using the link sent in the weekly newsletter and in emails from FSU Events. \n  \n\n\nNon-FSU members who prefer to join ONLINE can pay £5 to register here: \n  \n\n\nhttps://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/online-ticket-for-unfair-play-sharron-davies-book-launch-tickets-635317661227 \n\n\nAbout the book \n  \n\n\nSharron Davies is no stranger to battling the routine sexism of the sporting world. She missed out on Olympic Gold because of blatant doping among East German athletes in the 1980s and has never received justice. Now\, biological males are being allowed to compete directly against women under the guise of trans ‘self- ID’\, a development that could destroy the integrity of female sport. This callous indifference towards women in sport\, argue Sharron and journalist Craig Lord\, is merely the latest stage in a decades-long history of sexism on the part of sport’s higher-ups. \n\n\nUnfair Play: The battle to save women’s sport provides the facts\, science and arguments that will help women in sport get the justice they deserve. \n\n\nJoin us on Wednesday 5th July to hear from Sharron about why she wrote the book and the struggles she has faced to get her arguments heard. \n\n\nWe have brought together a superb panel to discuss the issues with Sharron: \n\n\nDr Emma Hilton is a prize-winning development biologist who has advised various governing bodies on transgender policy in sport including World Rugby. She is a director of Sex Matters\, a UK-based human rights group that campaigns for clarity on the (UK) protected characteristic of sex in law and in institutions. Her current research activity is an academic scoping review of transgender athlete policies of the most popular UK sports. \n\n\nCathy Devine is an independent researcher and expert in sport policy\, equality and human rights for girls and women. She has published widely in this area over the last 15 years. In the last two years she has advised a number of international and UK sport organisations (often confidentially) on transgender inclusion policies that do not compromise equal sporting opportunities for girls and women. She worked for 23 years as a Senior Lecturer at the University of Cumbria\, UK\, and is an erstwhile Secretary of the British Philosophy of Sport Association. \n\n\nIn the chair will be Dr Jan Macvarish. Jan is Education and Events Director of the Free Speech Union. Before joining the staff of the FSU\, she worked as an academic sociologist\, studying parenting\, family life\, intimacy and reproductive health. \n\n\nThere will be an audience Q and A and plenty of time to socialise afterwards over a complimentary glass of wine\, courtesy of Swift Press. The book will be on sale on the night and Sharron will be signing copies. \n\n\nDATE: Wednesday 5th July \n\n\nTIME: 7pm until 8.30pm\, (doors open 6.30pm). Followed by celebratory wine reception. \n\n\nVENUE: The Council Chamber\, Hallam Conference Centre\, 44 Hallam Street\, London W1W 6JJ. \n\nTICKETS: FSU Members £10 / Non-members £20 / Age 25s and under £12. Join the FSU today for free speech support and discounted tickets to all events\, membership from as little as £2.49 per month.
URL:https://freespeechunion.org/event/unfair-play-the-battle-for-womens-sport-and-against-attempts-to-silence-its-champions/
LOCATION:The Council Chamber\, Hallam Conference Centre\, 44 Hallam Street\, London\, W1W 6JJ\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Book Launches & Promotions
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DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20220927T193000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20220927T220000
DTSTAMP:20250624T084458
CREATED:20230425T183948Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230425T192233Z
UID:10000021-1664307000-1664316000@freespeechunion.org
SUMMARY:The New Puritans – Andrew Doyle Book Launch
DESCRIPTION:Join us for an exclusive in-person event in central London\, or online if you prefer\, to celebrate the publication of Andrew Doyle’s latest book ‘The New Puritans: How the Religion of Social Justice Captured the Western World’. \nAmongst his many accomplishments\, Andrew Doyle is the author of ‘Free Speech And Why It Matters’\, the creator of woke icon Titania McGrath and co-creator of fictional news reporter Jonathan Pie. He is the host of the weekly ‘Free Speech Nation’ programme on GBNews\, founder of Comedy Unleashed and a very good friend to the Free Speech Union. Andrew has been a member of FSU’s Advisory Council from the start. \nHis new book is described by the Sunday Times as\, \n‘A sober but devastating skewering of cancel culture and the moral certainties it shares with religious fundamentalism.’ \nEngaging\, incisive and acute\, The New Puritans is a deeply necessary exploration of our current cultural climate and an urgent appeal to return to a truly liberal society. \nThe puritans of the seventeenth century sought to refashion society in accordance with their own beliefs\, but they were deep thinkers who were aware of their own fallibility. Today\, in the grasp of the new puritans\, we see a very different story. \nLeading a cultural revolution driven by identity politics and so-called ‘social justice’\, the new puritanism movement is best understood as a religion – one that makes grand claims to moral purity and tolerates no dissent. Its disciples even have their own language\, rituals and a determination to root out sinners through what has become known as ‘cancel culture’. \nIn ‘The New Puritans’\, Andrew Doyle powerfully examines the underlying belief-systems of this ideology\, and how it has risen so rapidly to dominate all major political\, cultural and corporate institutions. He reasons that\, to move forward\, we need to understand where these new puritans came from and what they hope to achieve. Written in the spirit of optimism and understanding\, Doyle offers an eloquent and powerful case for the reinstatement of liberal values and explains why it’s important we act now.
URL:https://freespeechunion.org/event/the-new-puritans-andrew-doyle-book-launch/
LOCATION:The Art Workers’ Guild\, 6 Queen Square\, London\, WC1N 3AT\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Book Launches & Promotions
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20220421T193000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20220421T213000
DTSTAMP:20250624T084458
CREATED:20230425T113030Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230425T113454Z
UID:10000011-1650569400-1650576600@freespeechunion.org
SUMMARY:Why Free Speech Matters
DESCRIPTION:Please join us in Edinburgh on Thursday 21st April for a very special event to discuss\, Why Free Speech Matters \nInternationally renowned free speech advocate and author Jacob Mchangama will give a short lecture\, introducing his highly acclaimed new book\, Free Speech: A Global History from Socrates to Social Media. The evening will be hosted by Toby Young\, general secretary of the Free Speech Union. \nToby and Jacob will be joined by Joanna Cherry QC and MP and Jamie Gillies\, commentator and Free to Disagree campaigner\, to discuss the importance of free speech and how it can be defended today. After the lecture and discussion\, we will be unveiling some exciting news about the Free Speech Union’s activities in Scotland and what we’re intending to do to protect free speech in a nation where it’s becoming increasingly endangered. \nTHIS IS A SPECIAL EVENT FOR THE FREE SPEECH UNION AND GUESTS. DO FEEL FREE TO INVITE FRIENDS\, BUT PLEASE DO NOT SHARE ON SOCIAL MEDIA. \nA wine reception will follow. \n——————— \nDetails \nDate: Thursday 21st April 2022 \nTime: 7.30 – 9pm (please arrive by 7.15pm). Followed by wine reception \nVenue: The Canongate Room\, Radisson Blu Hotel\, The Royal Mile\, 80 High Street\, Edinburgh\, EH1 1TH \nTickets: FSU Members £5/£3. Non-FSU Members £10/£6. \n———————– \nSPEAKERS \nLecturer: Jacob Mchangama \nJacob Mchangama is a lawyer\, human rights advocate and former external lecturer in human rights at the University of Copenhagen. He is the founder and director of Justitia\, a Copenhagen-based think tank focusing on human rights\, freedom of speech\, and the rule of law. His writings have appeared in a wide range of international outlets including The Economist\, The Washington Post\, Foreign Policy\, Foreign Affairs\, Politico\, The Wall Street Journal Europe\, El Pais\, France24\, Deutsche Welle\, and Al Jazeera. His book builds on his podcast ‘Clear and Present Danger: A History of Free Speech’\, which has reached an audience of over 220\,000 unique listeners in more than 120 countries across the world. \nHost: Toby Young \nIn addition to being the General Secretary of the Free Speech Union\, Toby Young is an associate editor of the Spectator and the editor of the Daily Sceptic. \nPanellist: Joanna Cherry QC and MP \nJoanna was elected as Member of Parliament for Edinburgh South West in 2015 and re-elected in 2017. Before entering Parliament\, Joanna had practiced as an Advocate for about 20 years and as a QC since 2009. \nPanellist: Jamie Gillies \nJamie is a Scottish campaigner and political commentator. He was a leading critic of the SNP’s Hate Crime Bill\, representing the Free to Disagree campaign. \n———————- \nPraise for ‘Free Speech: A Global History from Socrates to Social Media’: \n“Freedom of speech has emerged as a major issue of this decade\, but most of the discussion consists of outrages over speech or the repression of speech. Missing is the intellectual background: What does free speech really mean? What is its history? How has it played out in world events? Why should we defend it? Jacob Mchangama lays out this context with deep erudition\, strong writing\, and a light touch.” – Steven Pinker\, Johnstone Professor of Psychology\, Harvard University\, and the author of Enlightenment Now and Rationality \n“Jacob Mchangama presents a compelling case for the unique\, universal\, enduring importance of free and equal speech for all people\, regardless of their particular identities or ideologies. This fascinating account\, of magisterial scope\, demonstrates the constant liberating and equalizing force of free speech\, throughout history and around the world. It also documents the constant censorial pressures\, including many that reflect positive aims\, and their inevitable suppression of full and equal human rights.” – Nadine Strossen\, Former National President\, American Civil Liberties Union
URL:https://freespeechunion.org/event/why-free-speech-matters/
LOCATION:Radisson Blu Hotel\, 80 High Street\, Edinburgh\, EH1 1TH\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Book Launches & Promotions,Guest Lectures
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20220317T190000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20220317T213000
DTSTAMP:20250624T084459
CREATED:20230425T111135Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230425T111936Z
UID:10000010-1647543600-1647552600@freespeechunion.org
SUMMARY:FREE SPEECH: A Global History from Socrates to Social Media
DESCRIPTION:Join Jacob Mchangama\, author\, lawyer\, and founder and director of Justitia\, a Copenhagen-based think tank focusing on human rights\, freedom of speech and the rule of law\, as he introduces his new book\, Free Speech: A Global History from Socrates to Social Media. Following a short lecture\, Jacob will be joined in conversation by writer and director of Cieo Dr Joanna Williams and general secretary of the Free Speech Union\, Toby Young\, chaired by Claire Fox\, director of the Academy of Ideas. The discussion will be followed by a wine reception\, hosted by Basic Books. \n—————————- \nAbout the book \nFree speech is often hailed as the ‘first freedom’ and the bedrock of democracy. Free exchange of ideas underlies all intellectual achievement and has enabled the advancement of both freedom and equality worldwide. But free speech is also a challenging and even contentious principle that today is often considered to be under threat. \nIn his new book\, Free Speech: A Global History from Socrates to Social Media\, Jacob Mchangama traces the fluctuating history of this idea\, arguing that it is not enough to have free speech legally enshrined – it has to be culturally accepted too. While the desire to restrict speech has been a constant\, what are the threats from free-speech sceptics that we should worry about most today and how have they come to be? At a time when ideas\, language and even history itself are the target of contentious interventions to restrict the free exchange of ideas\, what can a wide-ranging historical perspective on free speech offer us in the contemporary battle to speak freely and challenge orthodoxies? \n——————– \nAbout the speakers \nJacob Mchangama is a lawyer\, human rights advocate and former external lecturer in human rights at the University of Copenhagen. He is the founder and director of Justitia\, a Copenhagen-based think tank focusing on human rights\, freedom of speech\, and the rule of law. His writings have appeared in a wide range of international outlets including The Economist\, The Washington Post\, Foreign Policy\, Foreign Affairs\, Politico\, The Wall Street Journal Europe\, El Pais\, France24\, Deutsche Welle\, and Al Jazeera. This book builds on his podcast ‘Clear and Present Danger: A History of Free Speech’\, which has reached an audience of over 220\,000 unique listeners in more than 120 countries across the world. \nDr Joanna Williams is director of Cieo and author of Academic Freedom in an Age of Conformity. \nToby Young is general secretary of the Free Speech Union and associate editor of The Spectator. \nClaire Fox is director of the Academy of Ideas\, an independent peer in the House of Lords and author of I STILL Find That Offensive! \n————————- \nPraise for Free Speech: A Global History from Socrates to Social Media \nReaders on both the right and the left seeking insights into modern day debates over free speech will welcome this evenhanded and wide ranging history. Publishers Weekly \nFreedom of speech has emerged as a major issue of this decade\, but missing is the intellectual background… Jacob Mchangama lays out this context with deep erudition\, strong writing\, and a light touch. Steven Pinker \nThis outstanding book gets it in one: free speech\, as that right and privilege has been fought for and exercised as a key component of our always fragile democracies\, is currently experiencing the greatest threat imaginable. To learn exactly how and why\, and what we can do to eliminate or minimise this threat\, everyone needs to read this deeply researched and powerfully written\, truly global history covering everything from the face-to-face world of the ancient Greeks to our own\, very different world of anonymous digital media. Paul Cartledge\, A.G. Leventis Professor of Greek Culture\, emeritus\, University of Cambridge \n—————— \nAbout the event \nKeynote Lecture Theatre\, David Game College\, 31 Jewry Street\, London\, EC3N 2ET. Nearest tubes Aldgate (3 minutes walk) or Tower Hill (4 minute walk). \nDoor open 6.30pm \nLecture and discussion 7pm \nWine reception 8.30 – 9.15pm (complimentary glass with ticket). \nTickets are £10 waged/£5 concession. \nPLEASE BOOK EARLY\, WE ANTICIPATE SELLING OUT \nPromo codes have been sent to FSU Members and AoI Associates\, giving them a 20% discount\, please check your inbox and follow the link in the invitation email. \nRefunds are discretionary.
URL:https://freespeechunion.org/event/free-speech-a-global-history-from-socrates-to-social-media/
LOCATION:David Game College\, 31 Jewry Street\, London\, EC3N 2ET\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Book Launches & Promotions,Guest Lectures
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20210505T190000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20210505T210000
DTSTAMP:20250624T084459
CREATED:20230415T141013Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230913T094632Z
UID:10000005-1620241200-1620248400@freespeechunion.org
SUMMARY:Toby Young in conversation with author\, journalist and theatre critic\, Quentin Letts
DESCRIPTION:FSU members are invited to join us for an a conversation with author\, journalist and theatre critic Quentin Letts.\n\nQuentin has written for The Daily Telegraph\, Daily Mail\, Mail on Sunday\, and The Oldie.\n\nToby Young speaks to Quentin about his new book Stop Bloody Bossing Me About! and answers questions from the audience.
URL:https://freespeechunion.org/event/toby-young-in-conversation-with-author-journalist-and-theatre-critic-quentin-letts/
LOCATION:Online Event: Zoom
CATEGORIES:Book Launches & Promotions
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