Caroline Lucas England: How to Reclaim Our National Story Friday 16th January 20.00 – 21.10

What does it mean to be English in the twenty-first century — and who gets to decide?In this inspiring and provocative talk, Caroline Lucas draws on her Sunday Times bestselling book England: How to Reclaim Our National Story —hailed as “visionary” (Philip Pullman), “essential and magnificent” (George Monbiot) and “deft and wonderfully poetic” (Grace Blakeley).For too long, Englishness has been left to those who trade in nostalgia, exceptionalism and division. Lucas argues that it’s time to reclaim it — to tell a new story rooted in kindness, fairness, and care for people and planet. Reaching deep into England’s literary and cultural past, from Elizabeth Gaskell to John Clare and Charles Dickens, she uncovers alternative traditions of compassion, creativity and dissent that can inspire a greener, more inclusive future.With the insight of a campaigner and the conviction of a storyteller, Lucas offers a unifying, hopeful vision of a country that can once again take pride in its values — not its divisions.Caroline Lucas is the UK’s first and only Green Party MP, representing Brighton Pavilion since 2010. Twice leader of the Green Party, she has been named Politician of the Year by The Observer and The Independent and is recognised as one of Britain’s most powerful voices on the environment, democracy and social justice.A Q&A session will follow.