Hello lovely London Nerds. Are you feeling literary? We are!
Nerd Nite London is a monthly event where three speakers give 18-21 minute fun-yet-informative talks across all disciplines, while the audience drinks along. Tonight (June 4th) we’re returning to Stoke Newington Literary Festival where we’ll be learning about Stoics, 19th century London street life and Tarot.
Be there and be square.
Address: The Mildmay Club, 33-34 Newington Green, London, N16 9PR
Details: Saturday June 4th, 8pm.
Tickets: £8 from https://stokenewingtonlitfest.eventcube.io/events/40323/nerd-nite
Vagabonds: Life on the streets of 19th century London
Our historical view of London has been filtered through chroniclers such as Dickens, who did not come from poverty. In this talk, Oskar will show us the 19th century London from the perspective of beggars and thieves, musicians and missionaries, porters and hawkers and sex workers and street criers.
Oskar Jensen’s chief area of research is cantology – the study of song. He specialises in ‘vernacular’ song in 18–19th century Britain. Oskar is a Senior Research Associate in the School of Politics, Philosophy, Language and Communication Studies at the University of East Anglia, working on a study of English protest song from 1600 to the present day. He is the author of several books, including his latest, Vagabonds.
How to control the uncontrollable
Can ancient Greek philosophy help us navigate modern-day life? Stoicism is an ancient Greek philosophy which originated around 300 BC. It focuses on self-control, developing a good character, and increasing personal knowledge and wisdom. Stoicism is not usually associated with fun and accessibility, but this presentation will explore the core concepts and provide ways for you to live a more Stoically enabled life.
When Ben Aldridge is not writing about practical philosophy, you can find him climbing mountains, learning Japanese, running marathons, solving Rubik’s cubes and sleeping in unusual places.
Tarot Tales
We are all built from stories. Coming back to consider what story we are telling can be a wonderfully creative way to encourage self-awareness. Tarot’s characters, symbols and images prompt focused reflections, helping us to form a language around how we feel, empowering us to step out of the centre of the story and remember we are writing it.
Sophie Bickerstaff is a Therapeutic Tarot practitioner and trainee therapist who combines psychology with the mystical world of Tarot to help people consider, reflect on and communicate their inner worlds. Her work explores the power of storytelling in our pursuit of self awareness and the way we can use this tool to empower ourselves within our mental, emotional and physical lives.
More information about Nerd Nite London can be found by following us on Twitter @nerdnitelondon, liking us on Facebook at nerdnitelondon or visiting london.nerdnite.com. See some of our past speakers on our YouTube channel