
Book Fringe: On drugs and empire with Kojo Koram
Fri 28 Aug · 12:00
Lighthouse - Edinburgh’s Radical Bookshop
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Lighthouse - Edinburgh’s Radical Bookshop presents a Book Fringe talk with historian and political writer Kojo Koram. The discussion focuses on drugs and empire. Tickets range from free to £1.79.
We invite you to a special Book Fringe talk with one of our favourite historians and political writers, Kojo Koram.
All Book Fringe events are FREE in person + online | no tickets required (but you can reserve them here to get a book/reminder of the event & help us have enough seats for everyone)
In his new book, The Next Fix, Koram unpacks the monumental changes taking place in the world of drugs, and the future these point to. Moving between glossy corporate cannabis expos to grassroots activist campaigns and the question of reparations, he traces the growing tension between movements fighting for justice after decades of prohibition and the finance-world race to profit from a newly legal frontier.
Will drug reform finally undo the racial violence, environmental destruction and public health failures of the War on Drugs? Or will it simply open a new chapter in global capitalism, creating a smooth transition from cartel barons to Wall Street oligopolies?
This event will be 30 mins followed by audience questions and signing. Please feel free to attend any or all of these depending on your capacity!
Our speaker:
Kojo Koram is a Professor of Law, author and investigative journalist. This year he co-founded the Transnational Research Centre on Emerging Drug Markets at Loughborough University which will examine how drug markets are changing. He previously taught Law at Birkbeck.
Born in Ghana and raised on Merseyside, he’s now based in London. He regularly contributes to Novara and the Guardian and has also written for the New Statesman and NYT. He is the author of Uncommon Wealth (2022). It won the English PEN Hessell-Tiltman Prize, was shortlisted for the Orwell Prize for Political Writing and the Bread and Roses Award for Radical Publishing and was a Guardian BOTY.
Description supplied by the event organiser.
Weather on the day
Drizzle · 16°C
Feels like 16°C · Chance of rain 37% · Wind 7 km/h
Forecast from Open-Meteo, updated 49 min ago. Accuracy drops beyond a few days out.
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Frequently asked questions
Book Fringe: On drugs and empire with Kojo Koram takes place on Friday, 28 August 2026 at 12:00.
Book Fringe: On drugs and empire with Kojo Koram is held at Lighthouse - Edinburgh’s Radical Bookshop in Edinburgh (43-45 West Nicolson Street, Edinburgh, EH8 9DB).
Tickets for Book Fringe: On drugs and empire with Kojo Koram range from £0 to £1.79. Live prices and availability are shown on Eventbrite.
Tickets for Book Fringe: On drugs and empire with Kojo Koram can be booked via Eventbrite using the "Check Tickets & Live Prices" button on this page, which opens the official booking site in a new tab.
Staying overnight?
Hotels within walking distance of Lighthouse - Edinburgh’s Radical Bookshop.
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Price
Free – £1.79

Book Fringe: On drugs and empire with Kojo Koram
Editorial Summary
Lighthouse - Edinburgh’s Radical Bookshop presents a Book Fringe talk with historian and political writer Kojo Koram. The discussion focuses on drugs and empire. Tickets range from free to £1.79.
This summary was automatically generated from event data sourced from official ticketing providers.
Organiser’s full description
We invite you to a special Book Fringe talk with one of our favourite historians and political writers, Kojo Koram.
All Book Fringe events are FREE in person + online | no tickets required (but you can reserve them here to get a book/reminder of the event & help us have enough seats for everyone)
In his new book, The Next Fix, Koram unpacks the monumental changes taking place in the world of drugs, and the future these point to. Moving between glossy corporate cannabis expos to grassroots activist campaigns and the question of reparations, he traces the growing tension between movements fighting for justice after decades of prohibition and the finance-world race to profit from a newly legal frontier.
Will drug reform finally undo the racial violence, environmental destruction and public health failures of the War on Drugs? Or will it simply open a new chapter in global capitalism, creating a smooth transition from cartel barons to Wall Street oligopolies?
This event will be 30 mins followed by audience questions and signing. Please feel free to attend any or all of these depending on your capacity!
Our speaker:
Kojo Koram is a Professor of Law, author and investigative journalist. This year he co-founded the Transnational Research Centre on Emerging Drug Markets at Loughborough University which will examine how drug markets are changing. He previously taught Law at Birkbeck.
Born in Ghana and raised on Merseyside, he’s now based in London. He regularly contributes to Novara and the Guardian and has also written for the New Statesman and NYT. He is the author of Uncommon Wealth (2022). It won the English PEN Hessell-Tiltman Prize, was shortlisted for the Orwell Prize for Political Writing and the Bread and Roses Award for Radical Publishing and was a Guardian BOTY.
Description supplied by the event organiser.
📍 Venue
Lighthouse - Edinburgh’s Radical Bookshop43-45 West Nicolson Street, Edinburgh, EH8 9DB
Get Directions →❓ Frequently asked questions
When is Book Fringe: On drugs and empire with Kojo Koram?
Book Fringe: On drugs and empire with Kojo Koram takes place on Friday, 28 August 2026 at 12:00.
Where is Book Fringe: On drugs and empire with Kojo Koram taking place?
Book Fringe: On drugs and empire with Kojo Koram is held at Lighthouse - Edinburgh’s Radical Bookshop in Edinburgh (43-45 West Nicolson Street, Edinburgh, EH8 9DB).
How much are tickets for Book Fringe: On drugs and empire with Kojo Koram?
Tickets for Book Fringe: On drugs and empire with Kojo Koram range from £0 to £1.79. Live prices and availability are shown on Eventbrite.
How do I get tickets for Book Fringe: On drugs and empire with Kojo Koram?
Tickets for Book Fringe: On drugs and empire with Kojo Koram can be booked via Eventbrite using the "Check Tickets & Live Prices" button on this page, which opens the official booking site in a new tab.
🏨 Staying overnight?
Hotels within walking distance of Lighthouse - Edinburgh’s Radical Bookshop
Ad · Stay22 affiliate link
Price
Free – £1.79
Date
Until Friday, 28 August 2026
Time
Weather
feels like 16°C · chance of rain 37% · wind 7 km/h
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