Pope and Swift: A Celebration of Satire
Stewart House, Malet Street, London, WC1E 7HU
Monday 30th November 2026 6:30PM
Join three renowned writers and speakers to hear how two friends, Alexander Pope and Jonathan Swift, created a sensation in the eighteenth century and have influenced satire ever since. Hester Grant will speak about her book The Twitnam Summer: Friendship, Satire and the Writing of Gulliver’s Travels (Harper Collins) which celebrates the 300th anniversary of the publication of Gulliver’s Travels. Judith Hawley will introduce her book, Satire: A Very Short Introduction (Oxford University Press). Critic John Mullan will lead a wider discussion about the history and impact of satire.
Speakers:
Hester Grant studied modern history at Christ Church, Oxford, where she was awarded the J. L. Field Exhibition and the Keith Feiling History Prize. She subsequently trained and practised as a barrister. Hester gave up her legal career to bring up her three children, and to pursue her great loves of writing and eighteenth-century British history. The Twitnam Summer is her second book. Her first, The Good Sharps, told the story of Granville Sharp and his family of pioneers in philanthropy, medicine and industry.
Judith Hawley is Professor Emerita at Royal Holloway, University of London and a Trustee of the Pope’s Grotto Preservation Trust. She has published on a wide range of topics in Eighteenth-Century literature and culture. A frequent contributor on In Our Time and other BBC radio programmes, she also chairs the London Luminaries lecture series, showcasing stories from London’s historic houses.
John Mullan is Professor of English at University College London. A specialist in eighteenth-century literature, he also writes about contemporary fiction and was a judge for The Best of the Booker in 2008 and for the Man Booker Prize in 2009. He is an enthusiastic champion of the novel, especially the works of Jane Austen and Charles Dickens and frequently communicates his expertise through newspaper columns and BBC TV and Radio.
After the presentation, there will be a reception which will provide an opportunity to mingle for informal conversations with the speakers and members of the Pope’s Grotto Preservation Trust to hear more about the restoration of Pope’s Grotto in Twickenham. The event will be held in the University of London's Stewart House in Bloomsbury in Central London. Tickets, which include a drink at the reception, cost £!0.
How to get to Stewart House
Stewart House is part of the University of London building complex between Malet Street and Russell Square. Access will be via the main entrance of Senate House on Malet Street, London WC1E 7HU. Members of Pope’s Grotto Preservation Trust will be positioned at several points to direct guests from the main entrance of Senate House to the venue in Stewart House.
When you arrive at Senate House, take the main doors to Senate House and University of London Library (not to the Institute of Historical Research). Take the main stairs or the lift up to the first floor. At the top of the stairs, turn left following sign to Rooms 131 to 136. Go through double doors and follow corridor to doorway signposted Royal Holloway, University of London. The talk will be held in the room on your left and the reception in the foyer.
Underground stations including Russell Square, Holborn, Goodge Street and Tottenham Court Road are all within a short walk. Major railway stations such as King’s Cross St Pancras, Euston and Waterloo are also easily accessible from the Bloomsbury area. There are bus stops on Tottenham Court Road or Russell Square (Numbers 1, 24, 29, 68, 73, 91 and 390).
The first two minutes of this promotional video show you the entrance to the first floor: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-W--YhZmOw
There is a lift for public use. There are also toilets very close to the lecture room and the foyer where the reception will be held afterwards.
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Registered charity no. 1162424
Should I bring my printed ticket?
We will have a list of all ticket sales at the door, so please do not print your ticket.
What do I do if my e-ticket doesn't arrive?
First, check your Spam or Junk folders. If it's not there, send us an email either through TicketSource or our website.
Can I bring my dog?
We are sorry but dogs can not be admitted (assistance dogs excepted).
Refunds and returns
In common with other ticket-issuing organisations, we will not normally issue refunds if you are unable to attend. However, in the case of a genuine error or in exceptional circumstances, we will consider refunding your ticket costs after deducting our expenses.
Data Protection
We will retain only your email address and name (if supplied) on a secure server. You can remove your information either by following the ‘unsubscribe’ link on any of our emails or notifying us through the contact form on our website. We will remove your information within five working days.
Pope’s Grotto Preservation Trust will not pass information you provide to any third party without your express permission unless required to by law.
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Speakers:
Hester Grant studied modern history at Christ Church, Oxford, where she was awarded the J. L. Field Exhibition and the Keith Feiling History Prize. She subsequently trained and practised as a barrister. Hester gave up her legal career to bring up her three children, and to pursue her great loves of writing and eighteenth-century British history. The Twitnam Summer is her second book. Her first, The Good Sharps, told the story of Granville Sharp and his family of pioneers in philanthropy, medicine and industry.
Judith Hawley is Professor Emerita at Royal Holloway, University of London and a Trustee of the Pope’s Grotto Preservation Trust. She has published on a wide range of topics in Eighteenth-Century literature and culture. A frequent contributor on In Our Time and other BBC radio programmes, she also chairs the London Luminaries lecture series, showcasing stories from London’s historic houses.
John Mullan is Professor of English at University College London. A specialist in eighteenth-century literature, he also writes about contemporary fiction and was a judge for The Best of the Booker in 2008 and for the Man Booker Prize in 2009. He is an enthusiastic champion of the novel, especially the works of Jane Austen and Charles Dickens and frequently communicates his expertise through newspaper columns and BBC TV and Radio.
After the presentation, there will be a reception which will provide an opportunity to mingle for informal conversations with the speakers and members of the Pope’s Grotto Preservation Trust to hear more about the restoration of Pope’s Grotto in Twickenham. The event will be held in the University of London's Stewart House in Bloomsbury in Central London. Tickets, which include a drink at the reception, cost £!0.
How to get to Stewart House
Stewart House is part of the University of London building complex between Malet Street and Russell Square. Access will be via the main entrance of Senate House on Malet Street, London WC1E 7HU. Members of Pope’s Grotto Preservation Trust will be positioned at several points to direct guests from the main entrance of Senate House to the venue in Stewart House.
When you arrive at Senate House, take the main doors to Senate House and University of London Library (not to the Institute of Historical Research). Take the main stairs or the lift up to the first floor. At the top of the stairs, turn left following sign to Rooms 131 to 136. Go through double doors and follow corridor to doorway signposted Royal Holloway, University of London. The talk will be held in the room on your left and the reception in the foyer.
Underground stations including Russell Square, Holborn, Goodge Street and Tottenham Court Road are all within a short walk. Major railway stations such as King’s Cross St Pancras, Euston and Waterloo are also easily accessible from the Bloomsbury area. There are bus stops on Tottenham Court Road or Russell Square (Numbers 1, 24, 29, 68, 73, 91 and 390).
The first two minutes of this promotional video show you the entrance to the first floor: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-W--YhZmOw
There is a lift for public use. There are also toilets very close to the lecture room and the foyer where the reception will be held afterwards.
We will have a list of all ticket sales at the door, so please do not print your ticket.
What do I do if my e-ticket doesn't arrive?
First, check your Spam or Junk folders. If it's not there, send us an email either through TicketSource or our website.
Can I bring my dog?
We are sorry but dogs can not be admitted (assistance dogs excepted).
Refunds and returns
In common with other ticket-issuing organisations, we will not normally issue refunds if you are unable to attend. However, in the case of a genuine error or in exceptional circumstances, we will consider refunding your ticket costs after deducting our expenses.
Data Protection
We will retain only your email address and name (if supplied) on a secure server. You can remove your information either by following the ‘unsubscribe’ link on any of our emails or notifying us through the contact form on our website. We will remove your information within five working days.
Pope’s Grotto Preservation Trust will not pass information you provide to any third party without your express permission unless required to by law.
Event Details
From 6:30PM to 8:00PM
