Join us for the launch of How to Make an Incel: Mapping the Journey to Antifeminism and Misogyny at the University of Portsmouth

Join us for the launch of How to Make an Incel: Mapping the Journey to Antifeminism and Misogyny by Dr Stu Lucy.

18 November 2026 | 4:00pm-5:30pm | University of Portsmouth, Room 1.23, Park Building, King Henry I Street, Portsmouth PO1 2BZ and online

The Centre for Cybercrime and Economic Crime (https://www.port.ac.uk/ccec), in collaboration with the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice (https://www.port.ac.uk/about-us/structure-and-governance/organisational-structure/our-academic-structure/faculty-of-humanities-and-social-sciences/school-of-criminology-and-criminal-justice) (SCCJ) Seminar Series, is delighted to host the launch of How to Make an Incel: Mapping the Journey to Antifeminism and Misogyny (https://www.emerald.com/books/monograph/21060/Researching-IncelsA-Critical-Feminist-Intervention) the new book by Dr Stu Lucy, lecturer in Criminology and Counterterrorism.

As one of the few academic works based on direct engagement with incels the book offers a much-needed, triangulated analysis of the journey young and adolescent men take into the incel community, bridging the growing discussion between structural and experiential approaches in incel research. How to Make an Incel examines the network of social media platforms, websites, and niche forums where incel identity is cultivated and performed, offering a nuanced understanding of how young and adolescent men process gendered perceptions and masculine failures in mainstream and niche digital space. By tracking the incel digital ecosystem from everyday social media to extremist forums, Dr Lucy illustrates how seemingly innocuous discussions and imagery feed into more harmful ideologies that legitimise gendered violence and a self-deprecating identity associated with a growing number of mass casualty attacks around the world.

Event format

Introduction from session Chair Professor Lisa Sugiura

Presentation by Dr Stu Lucy introducing the book and its key findings

Audience Q&A session

Drinks reception and networking

Speaker biography:

Stu Lucy is a lecturer in Criminology and Counterterrorism within the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice. He has published in leading international journals and edited collections, provided evidence for government select committees on gender-based violence, and recently coauthored the book Researching Incels: A Critical Feminist Intervention (https://www.emerald.com/books/monograph/21060/Researching-IncelsA-Critical-Feminist-Intervention). His research interests lie in examining digital gendered social structures and how these impact men and boy’s understanding of masculinity, gender relations, and interpersonal relationships. He is working with a number of stakeholders in the design and evaluation of gender-based pedagogical resources, including the City of Edinburgh Council, Beyond Equality, and The Boys Impact Hub.

Description supplied by the event organiser.