Writing on the Wall is excited to announce a special event to launch our year-long programme of activity cataloguing, sharing and creatively interpreting WoW’s archive.
The title Know Your History? is intended as a provocation – how can we recognise and remember the struggles and achievements of the diverse communities that have shaped Liverpool? What role do archives, literature and storytelling play in ensuring that these histories are not lost?
We will be joined by Gary Younge, an award-winning author, broadcaster and a Professor of Sociology at the University of Manchester. Formerly editor-at-large at The Guardian, he has written seven books, most recently Pigeonholed: Creative Freedom as an Act of Resistance (Faber, 2025). He will reflect on his work with Writing on the Wall over the past 25 years, considering how WoW’s history can shine a light on changes in our broader social and political landscape and why it remains so important to understand and document these histories.
If you’ve been a part of WoW’s history over the past 25 years, or are passionate about archiving and local history, we would love you to join us – come and see archive materials on display and share your knowledge of WoW to help uncover, preserve and celebrate the often-overlooked heritage of Liverpool’s diverse communities.
Following on from the launch event there will be several opportunities to engage in the creation and celebration of WoW’s archive, including a free education and training programme, archival volunteering, and creative commissions. An expression of interest form for these activities can be found here.
If you’d like to attend our launch event, please book your place here
Monday 16th November, 7:30pm-9:00pm
Toxteth Library, Windsor Street, L8 1XF
Following on from the launch event there will be several opportunities to engage in the creation and celebration of WoW’s archive, including a free education and training programme, archival volunteering, and creative commissions. If you’d like to get involved in the project in the coming months, you can register your interest here.
About Gary Younge:
Gary Younge is an award-winning author, broadcaster and a Professor of Sociology at the University of Manchester. Formerly editor-at-large at The Guardian, he has written seven books, most recently Pigeonholed: Creative Freedom as an Act of Resistance (Faber, 2025). Winner of the 2023 Orwell Prize for Journalism and the 2025 Robert. B. Silvers Prize for Journalism, he has written for the New York Review of Books, Granta, GQ and New Statesman, among others, and made radio and television documentaries on subjects ranging from gay marriage to Brexit.
His fifth book, Another Day in the Death of America, won the J. Anthony Lukas Prize from Columbia School of Journalism and Nieman Foundation.
The National Lottery Heritage Fund
Using money raised by National Lottery players, The National Lottery Heritage Fund supports projects that connect people and communities with the UK’s heritage. 25 Years of of Creating Change Through the Power of the Word is made possible with The National Lottery Heritage Fund.
