Journalist Laura Trevelyan to deliver inaugural Sir Tom Hopkinson Lecture
14 February 2024
Journalist, reparative justice campaigner and Cardiff University alumna Laura Trevelyan will deliver the inaugural Sir Tom Hopkinson Lecture on Wednesday 6 March 2024.
The talk, ‘Confronting the Past - the importance of acknowledgement and repair’, will discuss why it’s been important for members of the Trevelyan family to confront their ancestors’ past as slaveowners on the Caribbean island of Grenada.
Laura will reflect on the healing power of acknowledgement, and what she has learned during her journey supporting the Caribbean’s fight for reparatory justice.
The Sir Tom Hopkinson Lecture series has been launched to honour the memory and journalistic career of the original founder of , what is today, the School of Journalism, Media and Culture at Cardiff University.
Invited speakers will be encouraged to deliver deliberately thought provoking and timely assessments of popular culture, politics, journalism and the media.
Laura said: “I am honoured to be returning to Cardiff, where I trained as a journalist, to deliver the Sir Tom Hopkinson lecture. He was a pioneering photojournalist, who made such an impact with the Picture Post in the post-war years.
“In the tradition of Tom Hopkinson’s campaigning journalism, my lecture will be about the importance of confronting the past. It will focus on why the UK should reckon with its imperial history, acknowledge the legacies of the transatlantic slave trade, and set an example by discussing reparatory justice with the Caribbean nations once enslaved by Britain.”
The event will be hosted by Cardiff University’s School of Journalism, Media and Culture. Head of School Dr Matt Walsh said, “We look forward to welcoming Laura to our home in Two Central Square for this special occasion. I know that our guests, staff, and students will benefit from hearing first-hand about this important subject in our inaugural Tom Hopkinson lecture.”
The event is open to the public and will also be attended by a range of Welsh-based VIPs including Senedd Members, Members of Parliament and representatives of the Welsh media and PR industries.
