For his inaugural lecture, Professor Brad Evans will discuss the main themes for research that feature in his latest book, How black was my valley: poverty and abandonment in a post-industrial heartland (Repeater/Penguin Random House, 2024).

The book provides a people's history of the former mining communities in South Wales. Drawing upon the author's own experiences of growing up in poverty, the book explores many of the most pressing contemporary social concerns.

While deeply rooted in local conditions of political and economic neglect, Brad will discuss how his research has connected to much broader issues as the Valleys are presented as key to understanding many social developments linked to the changing fortunes of economic power, coloniality, ideological contest and decline.

Foregrounding concerns with structural violence as it becomes manifest through issues such as generational unemployment, mental and physical illness, suicide, addiction, violence and domestic abuse, onto the rise of the far right. It also looks at how what's happening in South Wales is revealing of issues blighting other post-industrial communities in Europe and North America more generally.

The talk will end with some lessons learnt, including the challenges of researching violence that is too close to home.

The event will be followed by a drinks reception.