Leicester Literary and Philosophical Society upcoming events

Lit&Phil 2026 Annual Members' Meeting, followed by a music concert (28 Sep 2026)

Mon, 28 Sep 2026 17:40:00 GMT

The Annual Members' Meeting, is open to all members of the Lit&Phil.

The meeting will start at 6:40 PM.

The Annual Members Meeting will be followed by a concert by players from the Bardi Wind Orchestra conducted by David Calow

Tectonics, temporality and tranquillity in the architecture of Carlo Scarpa (12 Oct 2026)

Mon, 12 Oct 2026 18:30:00 GMT

The President's Address

Kanti Chhapi DipArch

Retired Architect

Lecture outline

tbc

Biographical note

tbc

Attending the lecture

The lecture is open both to members of the Society and to guests.

The lecture will take place in the Leicester Museum & Art Gallery, New Walk https://www.leicestermuseums.org/leicester-museum-art-gallery/

The hall will be open from 6:45 and tea and coffee drinks will be available between 7.00pm and 7.15pm before the formal start of the event at 7.30pm.

The lecture will also be streamed on Zoom. A recording of the lecture may be available to members only.

Mary Seacole (1805-1881) and her legacy today (26 Oct 2026)

Mon, 26 Oct 2026 19:30:00 GMT

Claire Dove CBE DL

Crown Representative Voluntary, Community, and Social Enterprise Sector at UK Government, Chair St George’s Hall Charitable Trust

Lecture outline

tbc

Biographical note

tbc

Attending the lecture

The lecture is open both to members of the Society and to guests.

The lecture will take place in the Leicester Museum & Art Gallery, New Walk https://www.leicestermuseums.org/leicester-museum-art-gallery/

The hall will be open from 6:45 and tea and coffee drinks will be available between 7.00pm and 7.15pm before the formal start of the event at 7.30pm.

The lecture will also be streamed on Zoom. A recording of the lecture may be available to members only.

The Changing Fortunes of the Lit & Phil Movement in Britain (9 Nov 2026)

Mon, 09 Nov 2026 19:30:00 GMT

Dr Heather Ellis SFHEA

Associate Professor in History of Education, University of Sheffield

and

Dr Martha Vandrei

Senior Lecturer in History, University of Exeter

Lecture outline

tbc

Biographical note

tbc

Attending the lecture

The lecture is open both to members of the Society and to guests.

The lecture will take place in the Leicester Museum & Art Gallery, New Walk https://www.leicestermuseums.org/leicester-museum-art-gallery/

The hall will be open from 6:45 and tea and coffee drinks will be available between 7.00pm and 7.15pm before the formal start of the event at 7.30pm.

The lecture will also be streamed on Zoom. A recording of the lecture may be available to members only.

Co-creating graphic heritage (23 Nov 2026)

Mon, 23 Nov 2026 19:30:00 GMT

Dr Robert Harland

Reader in Urban Graphic Heritage Loughborough University

Lecture outline

tbc

Biographical note

tbc

Attending the lecture

The lecture is open both to members of the Society and to guests.

The lecture will take place in the Leicester Museum & Art Gallery, New Walk https://www.leicestermuseums.org/leicester-museum-art-gallery/

The hall will be open from 6:45 and tea and coffee drinks will be available between 7.00pm and 7.15pm before the formal start of the event at 7.30pm.

The lecture will also be streamed on Zoom. A recording of the lecture may be available to members only.

On This Spot Fell One Tear of Love: secrets, lies and social mobility in the East Midlands of the 1950s (7 Dec 2026)

Mon, 07 Dec 2026 19:30:00 GMT

The Arthur and Jean Humphreys Lecture

Louise Doughty FRSL DLitt

Author

Lecture outline

tbc

Biographical note

tbc

Attending the lecture

The lecture is open both to members of the Society and to guests.

The lecture will take place in the Leicester Museum & Art Gallery, New Walk https://www.leicestermuseums.org/leicester-museum-art-gallery/

The hall will be open from 6:45 and tea and coffee drinks will be available between 7.00pm and 7.15pm before the formal start of the event at 7.30pm.

The lecture will also be streamed on Zoom. A recording of the lecture may be available to members only.

ESA/JAXA BepiColombo mission: A new view of Mercury (11 Jan 2027)

Mon, 11 Jan 2027 19:30:00 GMT

Sponsored by the University of Leicester

Professor Emma Bunce OBE

Director, Institute for Space, University of Leicester
Principal Investigator for BepiColombo MIXS instrument

Lecture outline

tbc

Biographical note

tbc

Attending the lecture

The lecture is open both to members of the Society and to guests.

The lecture will take place in the Leicester Museum & Art Gallery, New Walk https://www.leicestermuseums.org/leicester-museum-art-gallery/

The hall will be open from 6:45 and tea and coffee drinks will be available between 7.00pm and 7.15pm before the formal start of the event at 7.30pm.

The lecture will also be streamed on Zoom. A recording of the lecture may be available to members only.

Lecture title to be announced (25 Jan 2027)

Mon, 25 Jan 2027 19:30:00 GMT

Sponsored by De Montfort University

Chris Stafford

CEO of Curve, Leicester

Lecture outline

tbc

Biographical note

tbc

Attending the lecture

The lecture is open both to members of the Society and to guests.

The lecture will take place in the Leicester Museum & Art Gallery, New Walk https://www.leicestermuseums.org/leicester-museum-art-gallery/

The hall will be open from 6:45 and tea and coffee drinks will be available between 7.00pm and 7.15pm before the formal start of the event at 7.30pm.

The lecture will also be streamed on Zoom. A recording of the lecture may be available to members only.

Where the arts meet science: keeping the Mary Rose shipshape (8 Feb 2027)

Mon, 08 Feb 2027 19:30:00 GMT

Sponsored by the Royal Society of Chemistry

Professor Eleanor Schofield PhD FREng FIMMM

Director of Collections Mary Rose Trust

Lecture outline

tbc

Biographical note

tbc

Attending the lecture

The lecture is open both to members of the Society and to guests.

The lecture will take place in the Leicester Museum & Art Gallery, New Walk https://www.leicestermuseums.org/leicester-museum-art-gallery/

The hall will be open from 6:45 and tea and coffee drinks will be available between 7.00pm and 7.15pm before the formal start of the event at 7.30pm.

The lecture will also be streamed on Zoom. A recording of the lecture may be available to members only.

Lecture title to be announced (22 Feb 2027)

Mon, 22 Feb 2027 19:30:00 GMT

Sponsored by Loughborough University

Professor Rosemary Hunter KC(Hon) FAcSS

Founding Head of Law, Professor of Socio-Legal Studies, Loughborough University

Lecture outline

tbc

Biographical note

tbc

Attending the lecture

The lecture is open both to members of the Society and to guests.

The lecture will take place in the Leicester Museum & Art Gallery, New Walk https://www.leicestermuseums.org/leicester-museum-art-gallery/

The hall will be open from 6:45 and tea and coffee drinks will be available between 7.00pm and 7.15pm before the formal start of the event at 7.30pm.

The lecture will also be streamed on Zoom. A recording of the lecture may be available to members only.

Bring back British beavers? Species reintroductions and Britain’s relationship with nature in the 21st century (8 Mar 2027)

Mon, 08 Mar 2027 19:30:00 GMT

Natural History Section Joint Lecture

Professor George Holmes PhD

Professor of Conservation and Society, University of Leeds

Lecture outline

tbc

Biographical note

tbc

Attending the lecture

The lecture is open both to members of the Society and to guests.

The lecture will take place in the Leicester Museum & Art Gallery, New Walk https://www.leicestermuseums.org/leicester-museum-art-gallery/

The hall will be open from 6:45 and tea and coffee drinks will be available between 7.00pm and 7.15pm before the formal start of the event at 7.30pm.

The lecture will also be streamed on Zoom. A recording of the lecture may be available to members only.

On Babbacombe Beach - High Tide for the High Victorians? (15 Mar 2027)

Mon, 15 Mar 2027 18:30:00 GMT

The Peach Lecture [held at the University of Leicester, location and time to be announced]

Dr Rosemary Hill FSA FRSL

Writer and historian

Lecture outline

tbc

Biographical note

tbc

Attending the lecture

The lecture is open both to members of the Society and to guests.

The lecture will also be streamed on Zoom. A recording of the lecture may be available to members only.

Lecture title to be announced (22 Mar 2027)

Mon, 22 Mar 2027 19:30:00 GMT

The F.L. Attenborough Lecture

Richard Graves

Author and historian

Lecture outline

tbc

Biographical note

tbc

Attending the lecture

The lecture is open both to members of the Society and to guests.

The lecture will take place in the Leicester Museum & Art Gallery, New Walk https://www.leicestermuseums.org/leicester-museum-art-gallery/

The hall will be open from 6:45 and tea and coffee drinks will be available between 7.00pm and 7.15pm before the formal start of the event at 7.30pm.

The lecture will also be streamed on Zoom. A recording of the lecture may be available to members only.

The importance of Geology in a developing world (12 Apr 2027)

Mon, 12 Apr 2027 18:30:00 GMT

The Geology Section Joint Lecture

Dr Maggy Heintz

Director of British Geological Survey International Geoscience

Lecture outline

tbc

Biographical note

tbc

Attending the lecture

The lecture is open both to members of the Society and to guests.

The lecture will take place in the Leicester Museum & Art Gallery, New Walk https://www.leicestermuseums.org/leicester-museum-art-gallery/

The hall will be open from 6:45 and tea and coffee drinks will be available between 7.00pm and 7.15pm before the formal start of the event at 7.30pm.

The lecture will also be streamed on Zoom. A recording of the lecture may be available to members only.

TO BE ANNOUNCED (26 Apr 2027)

Mon, 26 Apr 2027 18:30:00 GMT

Joint Lecture with the Leicester Museum and Art Gallery

Speaker to be announced

Lecture outline

tbc

Biographical note

tbc

Attending the lecture

The lecture is open both to members of the Society and to guests.

The lecture will take place in the Leicester Museum & Art Gallery, New Walk https://www.leicestermuseums.org/leicester-museum-art-gallery/

The hall will be open from 6:45 and tea and coffee drinks will be available between 7.00pm and 7.15pm before the formal start of the event at 7.30pm.

The lecture will also be streamed on Zoom. A recording of the lecture may be available to members only.