The Day Parliament Burned Down: An Evening with Political Writer in Residence Caroline Shenton - SOLD OUT

Please note this event is now sold out.

7.30pm for 8pm

William Gladstone entered Parliament less than two years before the old Houses of Parliament were destroyed in the fire of 1834. He spent the next 30 years working in the gigantic building site Westminster had become, as Barry and Pugin’s new Palace grew up over the ruins.

Caroline Shenton’s gripping account of the blaze won the inaugural Political Book of the Year Award in 2013. Join her for an illustrated talk about the fire and its aftermath during the first half of Gladstone’s career - as Chancellor of the Exchequer, he was later to become embroiled in the rows over the huge cost of the rebuilding!

Caroline Shenton is an archivist, historian and author. She was Director of the Parliamentary Archives at Westminster from 2008 to 2014.

Caroline's book Mr Barry's War was chosen by Lucy Worsley as her Book of the Year in BBC History Magazine and was also named as one of the top 50 books of the year by The Telegraph.

Tickets are priced at £15 which includes a copy of The Day Parliament Burned Down.

Food for Thought will be open for dinner, which must be booked in advance.

To book your place, please call 01244 532350 or email [email protected].

Read the Guardian's review of The Day Parliament Burned Down here.