For years, 鈥渨okeness鈥� has dominated cultural and political discourse, hailed as a necessary reckoning by some and dismissed as performative posturing by others. But are we now entering a post-woke era? And if so, what comes next?
At this event, we delve into these questions through the lens of Musa al-Gharbi鈥檚 provocative book, We Have Never Been Woke: The Cultural Contradictions of a New Elite. al-Gharbi argues that the progressive movement, far from being an unstoppable force for change, has been shaped by the interests and blind spots of a highly educated, disproportionately privileged elite. He suggests that what passes for radical activism often reinforces, rather than challenges, existing hierarchies鈥攁lienating those it purports to help and fuelling reactionary backlash in the process.
Musa al-Gharbi will discuss his book in conversation with Ralph Leonard, a writer for UnHerd who critiques the identity-driven politics of the modern left while advocating for universalist principles. The discussion will be chaired by Helen Lewis, journalist and staff writer at The Atlantic, known for her incisive analysis of politics, feminism and ideology. Together, they will examine whether we are moving beyond wokeness, what a new cultural paradigm might look like and what this means for the future of the left.