Culture as security: how culture protects us
Date and time:
Thursday 19 February, 2026
19:00 - 20:30
Location:
British Library Pigott Theatre
96 Euston Road, NW1 2DB
London
NW1 2DB
An evening of conversation exploring the ways in which culture protects, provokes and sustains societies. Together with a distinguished panel of speakers we will examine the role of culture in national security, the ways in which cultural narratives strengthen resilience, civic identity and democracy, and what it means when culture itself comes under attack.
Hosted by Kirsty Lang (BBC Radio 4), this crucial conversation will feature Mariam Naiem (Ukrainian writer, researcher and educator), Charlotte Higgins (The Guardian) and Yassmin Abdel-Magied (Sudanese diaspora writer and social advocate).
Full price – £15.00
Concession – £7.50
Young person (16–25) – £6.00
Universal Credit / Pension Credit (ID required) – £6.00
Speaker
Mariam Naiem
Mariam Naiem is a Ukrainian writer, researcher, and educator examining Ukraine through a post-colonial lens. Since 2015, she has been educating global audiences about Ukrainian society and culture. Her work includes the graphic novel A Brief History of a Long War (available in multiple languages) and The Guide for Self-Decolonization (Ukrainian). She co-hosts award-winning podcasts on decolonial practices, has spoken at Harvard, Penn State, and international conferences, and her commentary appears in The New York Times, Politico Europe, and Der Spiegel.
Speaker
Yassmin Abdel-Magied
Yassmin Abdel-Magied is a Sudanese diaspora writer and broadcaster. Yassmin is the author of the essay collection Talking About a Revolution (2022), and her debut novel At Sea, (May 2026). Founding Youth Without Borders at 16, Abdel-Magied is now an award-winning speaker on social justice, delivering keynotes and workshops in 25 countries. Her TED talk has over 2.8 million views and is one of TED’s top 10 ideas. She created the website eyesonsudan.net and supports sudandigitalarchive.com, a free, open source digital archive for Sudanese collective memory.
Photo Credit: Alex Cameron
Speaker
Charlotte Higgins
Charlotte Higgins is the chief culture writer of The Guardian, contributing work across the paper on art and the politics of culture. Since 2022, she has been reporting regularly from Ukraine. Her book Ukrainian Lessons: Art in a Time of War (Jonathan Cape), is published in August 2026, with a Ukrainian translation expected the following year. With Mary Beard, she is co-host of the podcast Instant Classics, and most of her books draw on her interest in classical history, literature and culture. Her works include Under Another Sky: Journeys in Roman Britain and Red Thread: On Mazes and Labyrinths. Her most recent book, Greek Myths, with illustrations by Chris Ofili, was shortlisted for the Waterstones Book of the Year 2021.
Photo Credit: Nastya Telikova
Moderator
Kirsty Lang
Kirsty Lang is a journalist and broadcaster who works for BBC Radio and Television. She was formerly on the staff of The Sunday Times and Channel 4 News, working as a presenter and reporter. Lang was a visiting professor at Columbia University in New York for several months at the beginning of 2012. She chairs the Board of the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art in Gateshead and since 2014 has been on the board of the British Council.
