AfterWords

We are in a new age of terror, with self-radicalising, hard-to-categorise individuals planning violence. Since the Westminster Bridge attack in 2017, more than 40 terror attacks have been foiled by the security services. 'Plotters' by journalist Lizzie Dearden is an eye-opening account of the British terror attacks you’ve never heard of—because the perpetrators were caught in time. In this episode, listen to Lizzie in conversation with fellow journalist and writer Tam Hussein to discuss the changing face of modern terrorism, the common factors that led to the would-be attackers being stopped and what each one caught tells us about British society. To buy the book and for more information, visit hurstpublishers.com

As floods and fires rage across the planet, more people are embracing nonviolent action to achieve political change. Can it work? In ‘Sorry for the Inconvenience But This Is an Emergency’ doctor and aid worker Lynne Jones offers a compelling, ground-level account of the last five years of UK protests, exploring how and why ordinary citizens have adopted extraordinary methods to confront the climate and nature crises. In this episode, listen to Lynne in conversation with Fiona Godlee, doctor, and former Editor-in-Chief of the British Medical Journal, about Lynne’s experiences, from Greenham Common Women’s Peace Camp to her involvement in movements like Extinction Rebellion today. They will also discuss the most effective kinds of protest, and what compels people to break the law in the name of justice. For more, visit hurstpublishers.com

AfterWords is back on 30th October 2024. For the next six episodes, join Hurst authors in conversation with leading experts and journalists to discuss their new and illuminating books. You’ll hear about our new era of mass protest and whether nonviolent action can achieve real political change; the changing face of modern terrorism in the UK; the complex and delicate process of peace-making in an increasingly dystopian world; a fresh take on the iconic writer Virginia Woolf and her deeply problematic prank; lessons in guilt and gratitude to the British from Mihir Bose; and a culinary adventure like you’ve never seen…or heard…before. For more information and to check out the books, visit hurstpublishers.com

From Brazilian favelas and campgrounds in Nigeria to megachurches in Ukraine and South Korea, Pentecostal Christianity is taking over the world. ‘Beyond Belief’ by writer and journalist Elle Hardy exposes the Pentecostal agenda and its sway over politics and society around the world. In this episode listen to Elle in conversation with journalist and author Katherine Stewart about how Pentecostalism evolved into a multi-million megachurch industry, why it’s attracting so many people, and what the movement’s explosion means for the world. For more visit hurstpublishers.com

You cannot understand the historic events of 2022 without understanding Volodymyr Zelensky. But the Zelensky effect is less about the man himself than about the civic nation he embodies: what makes Zelensky most extraordinary in war is his very ordinariness as a Ukrainian. ‘The Zelensky Effect’ by Olga Onuch and Henry E. Hale tells the story of Ukraine through the journey of the man who has come to symbolise his country. In this episode, listen to Henry in conversation with Shaun Walker, the Guardian’s Central and Eastern Europe correspondent and writer, as they discuss how its now-iconic president reflects the hopes and frustrations of Ukraine’s first ‘independence generation’. For more visit hurstpublishers.com