The Unnatural History of Extinction

This is an in-person event at the Linnean Society. There will be a drinks reception and book signing after the lecture in our library, with a pair bar available.

Over 90% of species that ever existed are now extinct. How did we come to think of ourselves as survivors in a world where species can vanish forever, or as capable of pushing our planet to the verge of a sixth mass extinction?

Extinction, is a surprisingly modern concept. Once regarded as a human induced loss, scientists reimagined species loss as a pervasive process during the nineteenth century. Europeans and Americans quickly used new ideas about animal extinction to predict that Indigenous nations were doomed to die out from imperial expansion across the world.

Exploring the tangled and unnatural histories of extinction and empire, this event will discuss how extinction is a political choice that has led to devasting consequences. It will also consider how histories of extinction illuminate our past and help us choose a better future.

Sadiah Qureshi is a prize-winning historian and Professor of Modern British History at the University of Manchester. Her research explores how the very notion of extinction emerged, and shaped our understanding of life on earth, genocide, and empire within the Anthropocene. She has written for the London Review of Books, Times Literary Supplement and New Statesman. She cannot bear the thought of living in a world without birdsong, trees or tigers.

Sadiah's upcoming book, Vanished, will be released in June. You can find out more here.

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Concessions

Please buy the concession ticket if you are any of the below:

• 65 years of age, or over
• Under 26 years of age
• Currently in receipt of UK government benefit (including, but not limited to, Income Based Jobseeker's Allowance, Income-related Employment and Support Allowance, Income Support, Working Tax Credit, Child Tax Credit and Housing Benefit, and Universal Credit).
• Currently in full-time education.

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This is an in-person event at the Linnean Society of London on Piccadilly, London; it will not be recorded.

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Event Venue & Nearby Stays

The Linnean Society of London, Burlington House, Piccadilly, London, United Kingdom

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