Why Pubs Matter

Pubs are an essential part of British culture in all its forms - there are rock and goth pubs, student pubs, gay pubs, Irish pubs, Caribbean pubs, vegan pubs and desi pubs. Pubs can be music venues, theatres, art galleries, lecture spaces and community hubs. But they are endangered by rising beer prices, tax and business costs. This and the competition from huge chains means that pubs are closing in the UK as just under two a day. Join sociologist Amit Singh and pub artist Lydia Wood as they discuss the need to recognise the importance of our pubs and what we can do to preserve them. Amit Singh is a sociologist at University College London. He is the author of Cancelled Futures: Class, Race, and Place in Post-Industrial Britain. He would, in another life, have been a fourth-generation publican. His father was the founder of London’s first Desi pub. His book, with Sivamohan Valluvan, *Pubs for the People: The Fight for the Pint and the Natio*n is out in October 2026. Lydia Wood is a pencil artist who is currently on a mission to draw every single pub in London. She shares her drawing process and pub adventures across her social media channels and the project has been featured in a number of news outlets including the BBC, The Times and the New York Times. Her book, Locals: An Illustrated Ode to London’s Pubs, is published by Sceptre. Both books will be available on the night.