Join us for an insightful event that delves into the complexities of Brexit with a special talk from Noni Stacey discussing her latest book Leave to Remain: a snapshot of Brexit with an opportunity to see our Brexit archives, some of which were used for the preparation of the book.

Art and photography have played a key role in capturing and reflecting on the conditions for the Brexit referendum. Illustrated by a range of work by artists including Cornelia Parker, Wolfgang Tillmans, David Shrigley, Tacita Dean and Jeremy Deller as well as the satirists Cold War Steve and Led By Donkeys, who offer fascinating insights into their work, along with ephemera such as campaign posters and leaflets, and more personal photographs which capture the searing impact of the vote on both UK and EU citizens, this impassioned and compelling book explores the role of the photograph and sometimes moving image in the ongoing consequences of what the author views as a political cataclysm.

From Jeremy Deller’s film of musicians protesting outside the House of Commons and Mark Duffy’s extraordinary photograph of a debate held inside, to portraits of those whose lives have been changed immeasurably, this art of protest brings together disparate aspects of the bitterly fought battle to remain and the consequences of the decision to leave the EU on 1 January 2021 and serves as a reminder of this political and social schism.

Noni Stacey is a writer and researcher. She is currently a Practice Supervisor for writing at Royal Academy of Art, The Hague (KABK), and Visiting Research Fellow at TU Dublin. Leave to Remain is her second book for Lund Humphries. Her first book, Photography of Protest and Community: the radical collectives of the 1970s, was published in 2020. She was awarded a PhD from University of the Arts London (UAL) in 2017. Previously she worked as a freelance picture editor and researcher for publications such as Guardian Weekend Magazine, The Guardian, and The Independent on Sunday and as a journalist and TV news producer. 

Tony Travers is Associate Dean of LSE School of Public Policy and Director of LSE London. His key research interests include local and regional government, elections and public service reform. Tony is chair of the British Government@LSE research group.

The British Library of Political and Economic Science (@LSELibrary) was founded in 1896, a year after the London School of Economics and Political Science. It has been based in the Lionel Robbins Building since 1978 and houses many world class collections, including the Women's Library and Hall-Carpenter Archives.