Join Robin Ince and Caroline Litman for a warm, funny evening of stories, poetry and unexpected moments.

An evening of stories and poetry from Robin Ince including discussion about his new book The Future of Jokes. Plus an interview with Caroline Litman about her book Her Name is Alice.

The Future of Jokes with Robin Ince

When did laughter begin? Were humans the first creatures to have a sense of humour? And was the very first joke told by a person, a chimpanzee, or maybe even a crow?

Join us at Chapter 34 for an evening with Robin Ince as he explores the wonderfully strange, funny and surprisingly serious questions behind his new book, The Future of Jokes.

Robin will be talking about why jokes matter, what they tell us about who we are, and why humour can be so powerful. Expect science, philosophy, politics, culture, a fair bit of curiosity and, we as usual, quite a lot of laughter.

Comedy can connect us, challenge us, comfort us and sometimes divide us too. So what does our sense of humour say about us, and what kind of future are we creating through the stories and jokes we choose to tell?

As always, this will be a relaxed Chapter 34 evening, with plenty of time to listen, laugh and ask Robin your own questions.

You’ll also have the opportunity to buy a copy of The Future of Jokes on the night and have it signed by Robin.Robin will be speaking to Caroline Litman about her book ‘Her Name is Alice’When my third child was born, I was told I had a boy. The baby was given a boy’s name and raised in that gender. But when she died, twenty years later, she died as my daughter, and will forever be remembered that way.Alice Litman died by suicide in May 2022, aged just twenty years old, having already waited almost three years for her first appointment at a gender identity clinic.

In stunningly beautiful prose, Caroline Litman captures the realities of an often-messy journey navigating both her daughter’s transition and the days, weeks and months after Alice’s death.

Searing, urgent and utterly unique, Her Name is Alice is the raw, human story of a mother’s love and grief for her child – and of a young trans woman who is impossible to forget and who must be remembered.

Description supplied by the event organiser.