Event type: Talk

Writing on the Wall are delighted to welcome back historian John Rees to present his compelling work of narrative history, The Fiery Spirits: Popular Protest, Parliament and the English Revolution.

As WoW proudly celebrates 25 years of radical storytelling, John uncovers the hidden stories of influential MPs and their allies who envisioned a kingdom without a crown. The so-called ‘fiery spirits’ who brought a desperate nation to the brink in the Civil Wars include the future regicide Henry Marten, the firebrand William Strode, the formidable colonel Alexander Rigby and Sir Peter Wentworth, descendant of a long line of anti-monarchists.

More than a book of political intrigue, The Fiery Spirits is a testament to the power of the people. Its reflections on mass demonstration resonate deeply today as four independent candidates sit at Westminster as a direct result of solidarity with the Palestinian people.

John Rees is an influential historian, broadcaster, campaigner. His books include Timelines: A Political History of the Modern World, The Leveller Revolution and A People’s History of London, co-authored with his partner Lindsey German. He also produces documentaries and presents current affairs programmes for the Islam Channel. Currently, he is a Visiting Research Fellow at Goldsmiths, University of London. He is a National Officer of the Stop the War Coalition, which opposes the British establishment’s disastrous addiction to war, and a founding member of the organisation Counterfire.

In December 2023, the world lost a singular voice. Refaat Alareer, poet, editor, teacher, and mentor, was killed by an Israeli airstrike in Gaza, along with six members of his family. His final poem, If I Must Die, written just weeks before his death, echoed across borders and languages, giving voice to the grief and resistance of a people under siege.

Refaat Alareer was a Palestinian writer, poet, and professor of English literature at the Islamic University of Gaza. A passionate educator and mentor, he was a co-founder of We Are Not Numbers, a platform amplifying young Palestinian voices. His poetry and essays captured the struggles and resilience of life in Gaza, making him a vital literary figure. Through his teaching, writing, and activism, he shaped a new generation of Palestinian storytellers.

But Refaat’s legacy did not end there. A towering figure in Palestinian literature, he helped shape a new generation of writers and thinkers, not only through his words, but through his presence, his mentorship, and his belief in the power of storytelling.

Join them for a special evening of remembrance, reflection, and resistance, as they celebrate the life and work of Refaat Alareer and the community he built around him.

With readings from his poetry and prose, and reflections from three people who knew him personally: Yousef Aljamal, Gaza-based writer, translator, and editor of If I Must Die: Poetry and Prose, a tribute to his former teacher, Ahmed Nehad, writer, translator, and fellow lecturer at the Islamic University in Gaza, who Refaat mentored for many years, and Basma Ghalayini, translator and editor of Palestine +100 and Palestine -1, two ground-breaking science fiction anthologies imagining past and future Palestine’s.

This event, in partnership with Comma Press, is part of Liverpool’s growing cultural response to the ongoing crisis in Palestine, rooted in solidarity, shaped by stories, and driven by the belief that voices like Refaat’s must continue to be heard.