Pope and Swift: A Celebration of Satire – November 2026.

This event will be held in the University of London’s Stewart House in Bloomsbury at 6:30PM on Monday 30th November. Tickets, which include a drink at the reception, cost £10.

Join three renowned writers and speakers to hear how two friends, Alexander Pope and Jonathan Swift, created a sensation in the eighteenth century and have influenced satire ever since.

Hester Grant will speak about her book The Twitnam Summer: Friendship, Satire and the Writing of Gulliver’s Travels (Harper Collins) which celebrates the 300th anniversary of the publication of Gulliver’s Travels.

Judith Hawley will introduce her book, Satire: A Very Short Introduction (Oxford University Press).

Critic John Mullan will lead a wider discussion about the history and impact of satire.

After the presentation, there will be a reception which will provide an opportunity to mingle for informal conversations with the speakers and members of the Pope’s Grotto Preservation Trust.