BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//sebbo.net//ical-generator//EN URL:https://lectures.london/london-school-of-economics/reading-wars-the-st ory-so-far-of-western-literacy-and-the-future-of-free-speech/calender.ics NAME:Lectures London X-WR-CALNAME:Lectures London TIMEZONE-ID:Europe/London X-WR-TIMEZONE:Europe/London BEGIN:VEVENT UID:0e064982-c655-4a36-86c5-242d8e3e9c25 SEQUENCE:0 DTSTAMP:20260605T072459 DTSTART:20260609T170000 DTEND:20260609T183000 SUMMARY:Reading wars: the story (so far) of Western literacy and the futur e of free speech LOCATION:London School of Economics: In-person and online public event (Ol d Theatre\, Old Building) DESCRIPTION:Tuesday 9 June 2026 6pm - 7.30pmSpeakersProfessor Don HerzogPr ofessor Larry KramerProfessor Nicola LaceyChairProfessor Devika HovellWho gets access to books? And\, to what extent does the act of reading shape o ur humanity? This panel event brings together Larry Kramer\, Don Herzog an d Nicola Lacey\, chaired by Devika Hovell. They will discuss Don Herzog’ s new publication from LSE Press\, Reading Wars\, which examines the heate d\, even murderous\, political struggles over who gets to read and what th ey get to read.Herzog studies the history and politics of anxieties about readers and reading\, spanning both the United States and Britain\, from t he 1500s right up to contemporary battles over banning library books and f reedom of speech. The author reconstructs arguments insisting that ordinar y men and women could not be trusted to read what they liked – indeed\, that some of them ought not read at all. And he charts struggles to promot e literacy. Herzog argues that at stake in these battles is whether some p eople – those banned from reading – are not fully human\, or lesser pe rsons than others. The radical campaign to let more or less everyone read more or less everything is ultimately\, therefore\, a campaign for equalit y.Meet our speakers and chairDon Herzog teaches law and political theory a t the University of Michigan\, where he has won the Golden Apple Award\, a university-wide teaching award bestowed by the student body. Among his pr evious books are Poisoning the Minds of the Lower Orders\, Household Polit ics: Conflict in Early Modern England\, Defaming the Dead\, and A Little B ook of Political Mistakes.Larry Kramer has been President and Vice Chancel lor of LSE since April 2024. A constitutional scholar\, university adminis trator\, and philanthropic leader\, he was previously the President of the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation and the Dean of Stanford Law School. Nicola Lacey is School Professor of Law\, Gender and Social Policy at LSE. She is a Fellow of the British Academy\, served as a member of the Britis h Academy’s Policy Group on Prisons\, which reported in 2014\, and was f rom 2014-2019 the Academy’s nominee on the Board of the British Museum. In 2011 she was awarded the Hans Sigrist Prize by the University of Bern\, for scholarship on the rule of law in modern societies\; in 2022 she won the Law and Society Association’s International Prize\; and in 2025 she won the UK Law Teacher of the Year Award. Her publications include A Life of HLA Hart\; Women\, Crime and Character: From Moll Flanders to Tess of t he D’Urbervilles\; The Prisoners’ Dilemma\, and In Search of Criminal Responsibility.Devika Hovell is Professor of Public International Law at LSE\, specialising in the law on the use of force and international crimin al law. She serves on the Editorial Board of the European Journal of Inter national Law\, is an editor of the international law blog EJIL:Talk!\, and is a fixed-term member at Matrix Chambers in London. Her current book pro ject examines the future of collective security.More about this eventJoin us on campus or register to watch the event online at LSE Live. LSE Live i s the home for our live streams\, allowing you to tune in and join the glo bal debate at LSE\, wherever you are in the world. If you can't attend liv e\, a video will be made available shortly afterwards on LSE's YouTube cha nnel.LSE Law School (@LSELaw) is one of the world’s best schools. In the UK\, it was ranked third by The Complete University Guide in 2025. In the QS World University rankings for 2025\, the law school was ranked sixth ( out of 200 worldwide). We strive to accomplish excellence in all of our en deavours\, helping students\, alumni and staff to achieve their full poten tial in everything they do.LSE Press is a non-profit\, open access publish er of the social sciences. It publishes high quality\, peer reviewed books and journals\, all available free of charge\, that shape the academic deb ate\, influence public policy and contribute to the broader conversation.T his book is free to read and download from LSE Press. Physical copies can be purchased from third-party retailers.Hashtag for this event: #LSEEvents Any questions?If you have a query see our Events FAQ or take a look at t he information below.You can also contact us at events@lse.ac.uk.LSE Blogs Many speakers at LSE events also write for LSE Blogs\, which present rese arch and critical commentary accessibly for a public audience. 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