Humanists UK today announced that acclaimed journalist and author James Bloodworth will deliver the Holyoake Lecture 2025 in Manchester on 4 December. Early Bird tickets are on sale now.
The lecture – Lost boys: a personal journey through the manosphere – will take place in-person at on Thursday 4 December, and will see James Bloodworth explore the sinister online world of aggressive misogyny and radical politics.
In the Holyoake Lecture 2025, Bloodworth will tackle the emergence of the ‘manosphere’, a sprawling collection of online subcultures defined by paranoid conspiracies, aggressive misogyny, and radical authoritarian-right politics. Drawing on the powerful undercover reporting from his book, Lost Boys, Bloodworth will share his personal journey into its darkest corners. The discussion will move from the absurd to the deeply unsettling, posing urgent questions about why so many seem to be susceptible to these beliefs, and what can be done about their pernicious encroachment upon our shared social and political life.
James Bloodworth is a journalist and author known for his compelling brand of undercover reportage. His 2018 book, Hired: Six Months Undercover in Low-Wage Britain, was longlisted for the Orwell Prize for Political Writing. His work focuses on politics and social affairs and has appeared in publications including The Times, the Guardian, and the New Statesman.
Humanists UK Chief Executive Andrew Copson said:
‘James Bloodworth’s courageous and unflinching journalism shines a light into some of the most troubling corners of our contemporary culture. The rise of the “manosphere”, with its toxic blend of misogyny and extremism, poses a direct threat to the humanist values of reason, compassion, and equality. This lecture will be an essential and challenging exploration of a phenomenon we must understand in order to effectively counter its corrosive influence on society.’
Tickets are available to purchase at humanists.uk/holyoake2025.
Notes
For further comment or information, media should contact Humanists UK Director of Public Affairs and Policy Richy Thompson at press@humanists.uk or phone 0203 675 0959.
The Holyoake Lecture 2025, ‘Lost boys: a personal journey through the manosphere’, will take place on Thursday 4 December 2025, from 19:00–20:30 at Friends Meeting House, Manchester.
Early Bird tickets are on sale now at humanists.uk/holyoake2025.
The Holyoake Lecture explores an aspect of politics or a contemporary social issue as it relates to secularist and humanist values, such as liberalism, social justice, and equality. The lecture and medal are named for the 19th-century humanist George Jacob Holyoake, a lifelong progressive political activist who coined the word ‘secularism’. The Holyoake Lecture is part of the Humanists UK annual lecture series, which also comprises the Darwin Day, Rosalind Franklin, Voltaire, and Blackham lectures.
Humanists UK is the national charity working on behalf of non-religious people. Powered by over 150,000 members and supporters, we advance free thinking and promote humanism to create a tolerant society where rational thinking and kindness prevail. We provide ceremonies, pastoral care, education, and support services benefitting over a million people every year and our campaigns advance humanist thinking on ethical issues, human rights, and equal treatment for all.
Lost boys: a personal journey through the manosphere, with James Bloodworth | Holyoake Lecture 2025
4 December 2025, 19:00
This event is now closed.