Dr Charlotte Lydia Riley, historian of 20th-century Britain, will explore contemporary debates around freedom of speech, censorship, and ‘cancellation’ in her talk, ‘The Free Speech Wars’, at Humanists UK Convention 2025, in conversation with Humanists UK Chief Executive Andrew Copson. The event will take place at the Octagon Centre in Sheffield from 13–15 June 2025.
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Dr Riley is a historian of 20th-century Britain at the University of Southampton, specialising in empire, politics, culture, and identity. She is the editor of The Free Speech Wars and the author of Imperial Island: A History of Empire in Modern Britain. Her work has appeared in a wide range of publications, including the Guardian, the New Statesman, the Financial Times, the Washington Post, and History Today. In her Convention session, Riley will ask if accusations of cancel culture and defences of free speech are too often disingenuous attempts to fuel a culture war, inhibiting a necessary realignment where hateful speech is challenged. She will also explore who gets to exercise free speech and the implications when powerful voices believe they have been silenced.
Humanists UK Chief Executive Andrew Copson said:
‘Charlotte Lydia Riley is an important voice on modern Britain and its recent history. Her work on the complexities of free speech is both timely and essential, and I’m very much looking forward to our armchair chat to discuss the issue at the Convention. The session – and the Convention as a whole – promises to be stimulating and thought-provoking, addressing some of the most hotly contested issues today.’
Humanists UK Convention 2025 will bring together humanists from across the country for a weekend of science, politics, culture, and comedy. The event will be held at the Octagon Centre in Sheffield from 13–15 June 2025. The diverse line-up of speakers includes physicist Dr Helen Czerski; journalist Ian Dunt; author of Money, Lies, and God, Katherine Stewart; tech entrepreneur Sara Wahedi; happiness economist Professor Lord Richard Layard; anthropologist and author of The Evolutionary Origins of the Modern World, Professor Harvey Whitehouse; historian and editor of The Free Speech Wars, Dr Charlotte Lydia Riley; philosopher and author of What Is Humanism For?, Professor Richard Norman; folklorist and cultural anthropologist Deborah Hyde; AI, Faith & Civil Society Commissioner Professor Kate Devlin; and many more.
Humanists UK Convention 2025 | Sheffield
13 June 2025, 19:00
The Octagon Centre, Clarkston Street, Sheffield, S10 2TQ
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