Identity and belonging at the frayed edge of England

A conversation between Professors Phil Hubbard and Patrick Wright on Englishness, Borders and Brexit.

In 2020, the conjunction of Brexit, COVID and the ‘migrant crisis’ put Kent in the headlines like never before. Images of asylum seekers on Kent beaches, lorries queued on motorways and the crumbling white cliffs of Dover all spoke to national anxieties, and were used to support ideas that severing ties with the EU was the best – or worst – thing the UK has ever done.

In this lecture, Phil Hubbard (author of Borderland: identity and belonging at the edge of England, 2022, MUP) and Patrick Wright (author of The Sea View Has me Again (2020, Repeater Books) consider the past, present and future of this corner of England, outlining how it embodies the changing relationship between the UK and its continental neighbours, and the prevalence of an exclusionary nationalism.

The event will be accompanied by an exhibit of photographs related to the themes of borders, refugees, and Englishness by Stuart Leech. The event will be followed by refreshments.

About the speakers

• Professor Phil Hubbard is Professor of Urban Studies at King’s and author of multiple books on place, space and identity. 
• Professor Patrick Wright is Professor (emeritus) of Literature and History at King’s.
• Dr Dawn Lyon (Chair) is Reader in Sociology at the University of Kent.
• Stuart Leech is a freelance photographer and designer based in Margate, Kent.