Join us and discover the radical history of Clerkenwell Green through monthly sessions. Come and explore local stories, groundbreaking ideas and people who made history.
Reds on the Green is back for Autumn 2026. Join us and discover the radical history of Clerkenwell Green through monthly sessions. Come and explore local stories, groundbreaking ideas and people who made history.
All events are free and open to everyone. Here’s what’s coming up:
A RADICAL WALKING TOUR OF CLERKENWELL
Thursday, 29 October 2026 – 6:00-7:30pm, Islington Museum, below-ground entrance, 245 St John St, EC1V 4NB
Clerkenwell is rich in radical history. Learn about the people and movements that have been part of it, on a 90 minute walk, led by David Rosenberg, author of Rebel Footprints (limited places – please book in advance at [email protected]).
Doors open at 5:00pm for refreshments; walk leaves promptly at 6:00pm
LENIN IN CLERKENWELL
Thursday, 19 November 2026 – 6:00pm, Marx Memorial Library, 37a Clerkenwell Green, EC1R 0DU
Join us to explore Lenin’s time in Clerkenwell and his connections with 37a Clerkenwell Green (today’s Marx Memorial Library & Workers’ School) and the local area.Vladimir Ilyich Lenin (1870–1924) was a Russian revolutionary and political thinker, a leading figure of the Russian Revolution and founder of the Soviet Union. Alex Gordon – a Trustee of the Marx Memorial Library & Workers’ School – will discuss Lenin’s ties to Marx House and the wider area, while actor Maxine Peake will read from the memoirs of Nadezhda Krupskaya, Lenin’s comrade and wife, bringing to life the experiences and everyday life of the revolutionary couple in London.The session will also offer a chance to visit the historic Lenin Room at Marx Memorial Library where Lenin worked during his time in London in 1902–03 and to view some of MML’s unique collection.This is a unique opportunity to explore Clerkenwell’s radical history and discover the places, people and ideas that shaped Lenin’s years in London and changed the world.
RADICAL PRINT WORKSHOP
Wednesday, 2 December 2026 – 6:00pm, Marx Memorial Library, 37a Clerkenwell Green, EC1R 0DU
This December join the Marx Memorial Library and Workers’ School to explore Clerkenwell’s history as a centre for radical print and publishing. For centuries Clerkenwell has been a hub for revolutionary thinkers, social justice movements and its proximity to Fleet Street has embedded it in the history of print and publishing. The workshop will be split into three sections:
WRITE: How have activists and organisers used writing in different ways to share their perspectives, promote their aims and build solidarity?
PRINT: What role has print played in radical movements, how is it designed and what techniques have been used?
DISSEMINATE: How was print used to disseminate radical ideas?
We will look at examples from the archive that relate to these themes and hear about their history. We will then produce our own creative responses through writing, print and illustration and discuss the role of radical print today.
Reds on the Green events are jointly run by Islington Heritage and the Marx Memorial Library. For more information contact:
[email protected] / 020 7253 1485
