03/08/2024
Conway Hall, the ethical focussed community hall in London, has published its programme of lectures, presentations and discussions for the month of June. On Wednesday 12th June, delve into the lives of overlooked LGBTQ+ figures with writer and journalist Luke Turner and bestselling author Wendy Moore. In ‘Jack and Eve: Two Women In Love and At War,’ Moore illuminates the extraordinary tale of Vera ‘Jack’ Holme and Evelina Haverfield, suffragettes turned partners. Jack, known for her acting and cross-dressing roles, served as chauffeur to suffragette leader Emmeline Pankhurst, finding love with Eve, an aristocratic activist. Together, they ventured to Serbia and Russia during World War I, offering crucial medical aid and driving ambulances to the front lines. Moore’s narrative offers profound insights into the suffragette movement, women’s wartime contributions, and the development of lesbian identity. In his book ‘Men at War: Lusting, Fighting, Remembering 1939-1945,’ Luke Turner uncovers the stories of conscientious objectors, a bisexual Commando, a pacifist poet who served in Bomber Command, a transgender RAF pilot, and a soldier who endured Japanese POW camps and later became an LGBTQ+ activist. By delving into a wartime experience that encompasses sexuality, desire, and the body as much as strategy and weaponry, Luke argues that understanding the complexity of the lives and identities of those who fought and survived is essential to truly comprehend the Second World War. Also coming up in June are a series of dementia friendly concerts, a discussion on the harm caused by conspiracy theorists to democracy and how social connection is a key determinate of health and longevity. For the full programme of events and to book tickets, visit https://www.conwayhall.org.uk/
