Our pasts in our futures: embodying radical histories

Please check ticket info for this event below, incl. information about access.

Aiming for the core of this year’s Radical Book Fair theme, we take a closer look at the histories that shaped us

It’s time for some time travel as Henry Bell, June Thomas and Tommy J. Curry investigate the ways in which radical histories survive, are reshaped, and empower.

Join them for a conversation about how the histories we build on as organisers and community members are passed on, used and repurposed or reframed. How do we find belonging in histories of resistance, and connection to other histories across distance? What does it mean to organise and learn across generations?

The panel will be chaired by Alistair Heather

Our speakers:

June Thomas is a journalist and longtime podcaster. Her first book, A Place of Our Own: Six Spaces That Shaped Queer Women’s Culture, was published in June 2024. She spent 25 years at Slate.com as a writer, editor, and podcast host and producer. Her writing has appeared in outlets including Bloomberg Businessweek, Marie Claire, the New York Times’ T magazine, and the Advocate. After forty years in America, she now lives in Edinburgh.

Henry Bell is a historian and award-winning poet based in Glasgow. He is the author of John Maclean: Hero of Red Clydeside, described as 'compelling and brilliantly written' by Jackie Kay, Scottish Poet Laureate. He brings people's history to life through running Radical Glasgow Tours, and is a committee member of the Red Sunday School, a socialist school for young people. He has written for National Geographic, Open Democracy and Bella Caledonia.

Tommy Curry is a philosophy professor at Edinburgh University where he holds a Personal Chair in Africana Philosophy and Black Male studies. His research focuses on Africana Philosophy, Critical Race Theory, Anti-Colonialism, Black Male Studies and Public Health.

Our chair:

Alistair Heather has produced documentaries on subjects such as Scottish culture, the Scots language and male violence against women. He writes regularly for the press and presents programmes such as award-winning Na Trads music show on BBC Alba and BBC Scotland’s Burns Night show. He has a successful history Instagram page exploring stories from around Scotland.

*Please note that masks will be required at this event (as with all Lighthouse events).

*Accessibility: All events will be professionally filmed & livestreamed. The Roxy is wheelchair accessible (including toilets) and we'll have provisions for neurodivergent guests including stims, quiet space and colour-coded lanyards.

*Events are £6 or free -we completely understand paying for one or two events and then getting free spots for others. The Radical Book Fair is entirely bookshop run and ticket sales are vital to keeping the fair sustainable and paying all our speakers so all support is heartily welcome!

*Featured books: The book & ticket option will select the most recently published book at any given event, if you’re not sure which book you want or don’t want that featured book, then buy a £6 voucher ticket that can be used for any of the books below.

*If you'd like to help make the book fair accessible to more folks, please consider adding to our pay-it-forward fund HERE.