During the Covid-19 lockdowns, our civil society network was quickly cut off from in-person opportunities to connect and share ideas.
As all activities moved online, we noticed a profound lack of opportunities to exchange vital learning and discuss the latest thinking and research.
As a direct response, we introduced an online Book Club for Wellbeing and Connection in 2021. This project aims to provide an enjoyable and engaging platform to celebrate each other's work, support those in the civil society sector, and foster a greater sense of social solidarity and togetherness.
About the Book Club
The Book Club invites different authors, researchers and prominent thinkers to engage in lively discussions on new ideas and approaches. Each online session focuses on a timely and pertinent topic affecting our network and wider communities, such as: loneliness reduction; racial, religious and social discrimination and injustice; and, mobilising community and climate action.
The sessions doubled up as an opportunity to build stronger and greater connections between civil society leaders, volunteers, trustees, and those that their organisations serve.
Indeed, the discussions have gone on to influence some of our own projects, such as our initiatives to tackle loneliness and strength social connectedness.
In 2022, we extended the Book Club into our wider European networks, collaborating with colleagues at ENAR (European Network Against Racism) and ENORB (European Network on Religion & Belief). This separate series of online sessions aimed to reach more civil society actors, with a specific focus on issues relating to feminism, anti-gender movements, equality, and anti-racism.
As of July 2023, we have delivered 24 Book Club sessions, engaging over 1,340 participants. So that people can continue to access the discussions, we recorded each event which can be found below.
Each session begins with a lively Q&A between the author and presenter(s), followed by an opportunity for all participants to share and discuss ideas.
Book Club Sessions:
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"Life Isn’t Binary" (18 July, 2023)
Alex Iantaffi is an author, therapist, and academic who has researched and published extensively on gender, disability, sexuality, and relationship issues.
Their co-authored book "Life Isn’t Binary", challenges our rigidly binary knowledge and societal structures.
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White Tears/Brown Scars (13 July, 2023)
Ruby Hamad is a renowned journalist, author, and academic. Her Guardian article became a global flashpoint for discussions of white feminism and racism.
Inspired by the viral article, Hamad’s non-fiction book traces the role that White Womanhood and feminism have played in the development of Western power structures
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Albanian Migration and the "War on Drugs” (23 July, 2023)
Kristina Millona is an Albanian scholar, working on topics around sexualities, communism, and archives.
Kristina presented on, and discussed, the reasons behind the heightened scapegoating of Albanian migrants in British immigration politics.
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Is white privilege real? Does American history begin in 1619 or 1776? (May 8, 2023)
Leading thinker Kenan Malik discusses his recent book, “Not So Black and White”. This thought-provoking work is a lucid history explaining the real origins of ‘race’ in Western thought, and tracing its path from those beginnings to today’s fractious world.
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'Taking a Stance on Feminists’ Prejudice Against Religious Minority Women’ (April 27, 2023)
In this session, we were joined by Mariz Tadros, Professor of Politics and Development at the Institute of Development Studies (IDS) with a specialisation in politics and human development of the Middle East.
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European Book Club - In Conversation with Lea Ypi (March 29, 2023)
Lea Ypi is a political theorist and author who has written extensively on issues related to anti-Albanian racial discrimination and stereotyping. In this session we discussed her memoir titled “Free”, where she explores the boundaries of progress and grapples with the weight of history.
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‘Gender diversity in STEAM: challenges and possibilities in leadership for trans workers in Latin America' (March 23, 2023)
Tatiana Buelvas Baldiris is an international consultant and social impact leader.
This conversation focused on Tatiana’s recent article, which explores the barriers facing trans people entering the workforce in Latin America.
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“Tainted Democracy: Viktor Orbán & the Subversion of Hungary" (21 March, 2023)
Zsuzsanna Szelényi is a Hungarian MP, activist, author. She was was a leading member of Orbán’s Fidesz in its early years, witnessing first-hand the party’s shift from liberalism to populist nationalism.
Her book offers an insider’s account of Fidesz’s evolution, and how he came to wield considerable influence in European politics.
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NOMAD CENTURY (21 February, 2023)
In this session, Gaia Vince explored how we can plan for and manage this unavoidable climate migration while we restore the planet to a fully habitable state.
The urgent message in NOMAD CENTURY is that migration is not the problem – it’s the solution.
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Donne tutte puttane: Revenge porn e maschilità egemone (December 15, 2022)
The first event of our European Book Club invited Digital Right Activist and Post-Doc Researcher Silvia Semenzin.
Semenzin presented her research and latest co-authored book exploring the non-consensual dissemination of intimate images, or what is commonly known as ‘Revenge Porn.’
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The Rise of Global Islamophobia in the War on Terror (28 September, 2022)
In this session, Naved Bakali, Farid Hafez and Leyla Yildirim discussed their new book, “The Rise of Global Islamophobia in the War on Terror: Coloniality, Race & Islam.”
In this newly edited international volume, the authors examines how localised histories, conflicts, and contemporary geopolitical realities have shaped the ways that Islamophobia has manifested across both the global North and South
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Feminism Or Fascism? The crisis of masculinity and democracy (7th July, 2022)
Are we faced with the prospect of Feminism or Fascism? What does masculinity in crisis mean? What’ is ‘White Feminism’ and why is is harmful?
Leading feminist authors and activists Rafia Zakaria and Nina Power came to discuss their latest books to answer these pertinent questions.
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Rationality: What It Is, Why It Seems Scarce, Why It Matters (21 June, 2022)
On the World Humanist Day (Tuesday 21st June), we hosted a discussion with experimental psychologist and Johnstone Family Professor at Harvard University, Steven Pinker.
Pinker unraveled the paradox between the progress and scepticism surrounding science that has lead to, for example, the spread of fake news and conspiracy theories.
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Muslim, Actually (15 March, 2022)
On the International Day to Tackle Islamophobia (Tuesday 15th March), we hosted a discussion with human rights activist and author, In this landmark book, ‘Muslim, Actually’, Khan draws on history, memoirs and fresh research to express what it’s truly really like to live as a Muslim in the West.
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Apeirogon (March 1st, 2022)
We were delighted to welcome Bassam Aramin, a Palestinian, and Rami Elhana, an Israeli; two men with much in common who sadly lost their daughters in the conflict. The speakers shared their stories of loss and friendship alongside Colum McCann, author of the award-winning novel, ‘Apeirogon’.
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Deep Adaptation (February 2nd, 2022)
Our first Book Club in 2022 was a joint event with the launch of CSC’s Climate Action Network for Faith and Community Leaders.
We were joined by author and environmental campaigner Rupert Read to discuss book, ‘Deep Adaptation’ and the personal and collective changes that are needed to prepare us for the ongoing climate crisis.
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Together: 10 Choices for a Better Now (December, 2021)
This session focused on Ece Temelkuran’s most recent book, ‘Together: 10 Choices for a Better Now’.
Ece is an award-winning Turkish novelist and political commentator. In her writing, she puts forward a vision for how we can enact social and political change, together.
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Fractured (November 3rd, 2021)
This session explored the themes in Jon Yates’ book, ‘Fractured: Why societies are coming apart and how we put them back together again.’
Yates explores the deep-rooted reasons for the fractures in our societies, and sets out clear suggestions for how we can overcome them as a community.
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The Dignity of Labour (October 6th, 2021)
In this session, Jon Cruddas MP spoke about his book, ‘The Dignity of Labour.’ Drawing from his experience of his own Dagenham and Rainham constituency, Jon examines the history of Marxist and social democratic thinking to question the future of work.
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Friends (July 7th, 2021)
We were joined by renowned anthropologist and psychologist Robin Dunbar to chat about his new book, ‘Friends.’
This book draws decades research on friendship to explore how it influences our health and happiness.
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Empireland (May 25th, 2021)
Guest speaker Sathnam Sanghera came to discuss his book, ‘Empireland’, shedding light on how imperialism has shaped modern Britain.
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The Lonely Century (April 13th, 2021)
This session we were joined by Noreena Hertz to discuss ‘The Lonely Century’.
This insightful book traces the roots of the loneliness epidemic, and offers hopeful solutions for individuals and communities to reconcile and reconnect.
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The Well Gardened Mind (March 15, 2021)
In our first session, we were joined by Sue Stuart Smith to discuss her book, ‘The Well Gardened Mind’, exploring the relationship between gardening and wellbeing.
Associates Kate Shurety, Martina Molinari, and Rebecca Pauley, along with our Directors Mark Ereira-Guyer, Francesca Godfrey, and Sadia Akram, have served as the main facilitators for the Book Club sessions.