Thursday 5th November 2026: How Not to Save the World, with Anthea Lawson

In this evening's session Anthea Lawson — a campaigner of three decades — draws on her new book How Not to Save the World: Doing Good Without Annoying Everyone. She'll explore the righteousness, purity traps and unhelpful habits that so often creep into activism and changemaking, and what she's learned about building bridges instead — working together for the world we want, without alienating the very people we need to convince.

Over her career, Anthea has fought against the arms trade and campaigned for an end to the financial secrecy offered by tax havens. She helped launch a campaign for transparency over company ownership, which resulted in changes to the law in dozens of countries.

Realistic, candid and hopeful, this evening offers a chance to reflect honestly on our own habits as changemakers — and to think together about how we build the bridges this moment needs’.

Anthea's talk will be followed by a one-pot vegan supper and discussion.

Jacobs Well, Trinity Lane, York, YO1 6EL

Doors open at 6.30pm for drinks. Talk starts at 7pm.

£22 Standard;  £10 Accessible/student; £25 Supporter.

If you're not able to pay the reduced price but would like to attend please contact [email protected]

Please note that most of our events take place in an upstairs space and we do not have a lift so our venue is not fully accessible. Please get in touch if you have accessibility issues via [email protected].