Spring Steps: From Roman Emperors to Voices of Resistance
Spring has officially sprung, and somehow April has disappeared faster than an 11-minute rocket trip to space.
We’ve been off-mic for a little while (thanks, reality), but don’t worry, we’ve got a brand new episode dropping early next month. Stay tuned!
The Conversation with Tom Holland
We had the pleasure of being invited to The Conversation, London’s newest literary talks programme, at the gorgeous St Martin-in-the-Fields. We listened in on What the Caesars Can Teach Us About Trump – with the Rest is History’s Tom Holland. He introduced us to Suetonius—a scholar, gossip, and social anthropologist of his time. His writings captured everything from emperors to children’s games, offering an intimate (and explicit) window into Roman life.
Holland painted a picture of Roman sexuality and masculinity that defied modern categories. Roman morality, Holland reminded us, was harsh, hierarchical, and often hypocritical. In connecting ancient Rome to today’s political landscape, Holland showed how power and moral judgment were as potent and performative then as they are now.
The Conversation is a series of weekly events discussing conflict and empathy, inequality and power, climate crisis and wonder. It takes place every Tuesday night at 6.30pm at St Martin-in-the Fields, WC2N, London from now until Tuesday 6th May. You can join in-person or online.
What We’re Looking Forward To: Little Brother 🎭
Adapted by internationally acclaimed and Olivier Award-winning playwright Timberlake Wertenbaker, Little Brother brings the English PEN award-winning memoir by Amets Arzallus Antia and Ibrahima Balde to the stage for the first time.
In Guinea, West Africa, Ibrahima discovers that his little brother has secretly run away from school and is heading to Europe. Ibrahima drops everything to go after him, setting off on the migrant routes of the Sahara towards the Mediterranean. Risking his life countless times, Ibrahima encounters the best and worst of humanity along the perilous road.
📅 15 May - 21 June 2025
🕚 Monday-Saturday (7.30pm); Tuesday & Saturday (3pm)
📍 Jermyn Street Theatre
🎟️ TICKETS AVAILABLE HERE
🎙️We’re taking the podcast live at Hay Festival!🎙️
We’ll be joined by the incredible Chao Tayiana Maina 🙌🏾 — an award-winning historian and digital heritage expert who’s made it her mission to spotlight African histories.
We can’t wait to have this conversation on stage and would love for you to be there with us.
📅 Sunday 1 June 2025
🕚 11:30 am
📍 Exchange Marquee, Dairy Meadows, Hay-on-Wye, Hereford, HR3 5PJ
🎟️ TICKETS AVAILABLE HERE
Where we’re Stepping
Chinny here! When The Republic, one of Nigeria’s most exciting and thought-provoking publications, announced a last-minute event in London, I had to pounce. Hosted by Wale Lawal, Looking for Ken Saro-Wiwa – A Conversation on Memory, Resistance and Power, was a moving experience. Marking 30 years since the execution of the Ogoni Nine, we explored the legacy of Ken Saro-Wiwa—writer, activist, and environmentalist—whose voice continues to inspire resistance.
There were unfiltered reflections on how many African states operate like neocolonial regimes, and how citizens are often sidelined by those meant to represent them. The event also honoured the role of women in the Ogoni movement, the importance of resistance, and the need to confront uncomfortable truths about our histories—including the lingering effects of colonialism and unchecked capitalism.
Events like this remind us of the power of reclaiming our narratives—and how crucial it is to tell stories that spark informed, collective action.
You can find out more about the important work The Republic is doing HERE