Recently acquired by the National Portrait Gallery is a photographic portrait of Melissa Benn by the documentary photographer Maggie Murray. This portrait is currently on view in the Lerner Galleries at the National Portrait Gallery and is also featured (left) on a Gallery leaflet as an example of how Gift Aid donations can support acquisitions.

2011 events

My latest book School Wars, published by Verso, will soon be coming out in paperback, with a new afterword.

Details of some upcoming events:

On November 13th at the House of Commons, in my capacity as Vice President of the Socialist Education Association, I will chairing a lecture by Stephen Twigg on the theme ‘Education, education, education: tasks for a future Labour government.’ Lecture begins at 6pm. More details here.

On the afternoon of Sunday November 25th, I will be taking part in a political conversation across the generations with my father, Tony Benn, at the Cambridge Wordfest this winter. Details here.

On December 6th, I will be hosting a fund raising event for the Maya centre, which provides therapy to low income women. Among the writers appearing will be Kamila Shamsie, screen writer Abi Morgan and novelist Gillian Slovo.

Events already planned for next year include:

The Winifred Mercier public lecture, which I shall be giving in Leeds, on March 6th 2013:

I will also be speaking at the ASCL annual conference 2013 – where I hope, finally, to meet a man called Michael Gove: also appearing at the same event.