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Lanre Bakare

@lanre-bakare.bsky.social

630 followers 90 following 31 posts

Culture writer, debut non-fiction WE WERE THERE out 17 April 2025 via The Bodley Head https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/453942/we-were-there-by-bakare-lanre/9781847927477

www.penguin.co.uk

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Lanre Bakare @lanre-bakare.bsky.social · Jun 19

On Ballymena, 1919 and a history of violence www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

The racial violence in Ballymena repeats a pattern that’s blighted Britain for years. We must wake up to that | Lanre Bakare

History tells us attacks on migrants are a predictable result of political failings, distorted media coverage and far-right opportunism, says Lanre Bakare, an arts and culture correspondent for the Gu...

www.theguardian.com

Lanre Bakare @lanre-bakare.bsky.social · 8d

I’m back on tour. Come see me in Durham, London (x2) and Bath!

Lanre Bakare @lanre-bakare.bsky.social · 29d

I'm entering into the world of Substack.

My free newsletter is called No Archive and is the kind of writing I don't get to do as much nowadays: irreverent and off the cuff.

The first piece is about Hulk Hogan, WWF/E and race. open.substack.com/pub/lanrebak...

'When it comes crashing down and it hurts inside': On Hulkamania, WWF + race

A debut post about growing up watching wrestling in the 1980s and looking back now to see the racial faultlines all too clearly following Hulk Hogan's death

open.substack.com

Reposted by Lanre Bakare

Manchester University Press @manchesterup.bsky.social · Aug 15

Tickets are on sale now for Hidden Histories with @lanre-bakare.bsky.social & @jakecampbell88.bsky.social at Durham Book Festival.

Both authors highlight the unsung stories of people from across the North, painting a portrait of a diverse and rich heritage: newwritingnorth.com/event/hidden...

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Lanre Bakare @lanre-bakare.bsky.social · Jul 4

Nice write up of WWT in TLS. Will do a post at some point about “political blackness” …

Kieran Connell @kieranconnell.bsky.social · Jun 26

My review of Lanre Bakare’s excellent book We Were There is in this week’s TLS

www.the-tls.com/regular-feat...

@lanre-bakare.bsky.social
@thetls.bsky.social

Staking a claim

It’s 1974, and Steve Caesar, a teenager whose family recently migrated from the Caribbean, is about to go on stage. The setting is the Wigan Casino, an

www.the-tls.com

Reposted by Lanre Bakare

Kieran Connell @kieranconnell.bsky.social · Jun 26

My review of Lanre Bakare’s excellent book We Were There is in this week’s TLS

www.the-tls.com/regular-feat...

@lanre-bakare.bsky.social
@thetls.bsky.social

Staking a claim

It’s 1974, and Steve Caesar, a teenager whose family recently migrated from the Caribbean, is about to go on stage. The setting is the Wigan Casino, an

www.the-tls.com

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Lanre Bakare @lanre-bakare.bsky.social · Jun 19

On Ballymena, 1919 and a history of violence www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

The racial violence in Ballymena repeats a pattern that’s blighted Britain for years. We must wake up to that | Lanre Bakare

www.theguardian.com

Lanre Bakare @lanre-bakare.bsky.social · Jun 11

Enjoyed this look at manc Morrissey diehards by The Mill. Would love someone to do something similar in east LA - arguably the biggest Moz fanbase outside the north west of England. manchestermill.co.uk/does-manches... Does Manchester still love Morrissey?

Does Manchester still love Morrissey?

A night at Co-op Live with the icon’s die-hard fans

manchestermill.co.uk

Lanre Bakare @lanre-bakare.bsky.social · May 22

Real storyline from the game is Brennan Johnson’s hair

Lanre Bakare @lanre-bakare.bsky.social · May 12

Mcintosh amp on the way out

Lanre Bakare @lanre-bakare.bsky.social · May 12

When we were drawing up plans for world domination, Start The Week was top of the list of shows to get on.

I was lucky enough to be on with Tiffany Jenkins and Geoff Dyer who both have fascinating books out (a memoir and a history of privacy and its limitations).

www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...

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Reposted by Lanre Bakare

Tiffany Jenkins @tiffanyjenkins.bsky.social · May 12

Enjoyed talking about STRANGERS & INTIMATES on @BBCRadio4 #StartTheWeek on history as private, personal & political, with the hilarious, Geoff Dyer (HOMEWORK) & the insightful @lanre-bakare.bsky.social (WE WERE THERE). Brilliantly chaired by @tds153.bsky.social www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...

BBC Radio 4 - Start the Week, History: private, personal and political

Tom Sutcliffe talks to Tiffany Jenkins, Geoff Dyer and Lanre Bakare.

www.bbc.co.uk

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Reposted by Lanre Bakare

Toby Bakare @tobybakare.bsky.social · Apr 25

@ayshahtull.bsky.social and I spoke with @lanre-bakare.bsky.social on the history of black Britain outside of London, in his hometown of Bradford. Two things he’s an expert on.

www.channel4.com/news/lanre-b...

Lanre Bakare on the forgotten voices of Black Britain

When people think about Black British history, London is often seen as its cultural heart.

www.channel4.com

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Reposted by Lanre Bakare

Festival of Debate 2025 @festofdebate.bsky.social · Apr 29

2️⃣ Lanre Bakare: We Were There

Join writer & broadcaster Désirée Reynolds for a conversation with @lanre-bakare.bsky.social, who will set out a compelling portrait of modern Britain that weaves Black stories far away from the capital into our national narrative.

🎟️ loom.ly/PTNOEzw

Lanre Bakare: We Were There

We Were There is about a Black Britain that for too long has been unknown and unexplored – the one t…

loom.ly

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Reposted by Lanre Bakare

The Portobello Bookshop @portybooks.bsky.social · Apr 29

Huge thanks to everyone who came along to our event last night with @lanre-bakare.bsky.social & Lisa Williams! 🤩

If you missed out, you can watch the livestream over on our website, and also order a signed copy of We Were There below 😊

www.theportobellobookshop.com/978184792747...

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Lanre Bakare @lanre-bakare.bsky.social · Apr 20

Had a blast on 6Music chatting to Zakia Sewell about my new book WE WERE THERE which is all about Black British culture in the 70s and 80s. Listen back here: www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...

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Reposted by Lanre Bakare

Festival of Debate 2025 @festofdebate.bsky.social · Apr 16

🗣️ 1 May - Lanre Bakare: We Were There

Join @lanre-bakare.bsky.social to explore his new book We Were There, in which he sets out a compelling portrait of modern Britain that weaves Black stories far away from the capital into our national narrative.

Get tickets ➡️ loom.ly/PTNOEzw

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Lanre Bakare @lanre-bakare.bsky.social · Apr 14

Londoners - I’ll be at Waterstones Trafalgar Square tomorrow night with Emma Dabiri. Last few tickets remaining www.waterstones.com/events/we-we...

Lanre Bakare @lanre-bakare.bsky.social · Apr 7

The first review is in for We Were There!

Colin Grant in The (Mighty) Observer declares We Were There is “sharply intelligent history” that “admirably achieves what it sets out to provide” and is a “necessary corrective”.

Feeling blessed 😇

www.theguardian.com/books/2025/a...

Lanre Bakare

lanrebakare.com

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Lanre Bakare @lanre-bakare.bsky.social · Apr 5

Yessss

Lanre Bakare @lanre-bakare.bsky.social · Mar 23

Nice one. Yeah, that’s discussed in the Manchester chapter. You might like Ed Gillett’s Party Lines

Lanre Bakare @lanre-bakare.bsky.social · Mar 22

We Were There is on the cover of Guardian’s Saturday culture pages!

It’s incredible to see Ellery Hanley, Nightmares on Wax, Empire Road and all the other figures from the book, assembled together and brought to life in print.

Live dates, pre-order link and playlist: www.lanrebakare.com/events

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Reposted by Lanre Bakare

The Portobello Bookshop @portybooks.bsky.social · Mar 16

We’re thrilled that @lanre-bakare.bsky.social will be coming to the bookshop on 28th April to celebrate his new book: We Were There: How Black culture, resistance and community shaped modern Britain. 💥

More info & tickets here: www.theportobellobookshop.com/events/lanre...

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Reposted by Lanre Bakare

Festival of Debate 2025 @festofdebate.bsky.social · Mar 11

Your second headliner!🎉

@lanre-bakare.bsky.social's work focuses on the intersection of art, race & culture. His book, We Were There, is about a Black Britain that for too long has been unknown and unexplored – the one that exists beyond London

Info & tickets ➡️ festivalofdebate.com/2025/lanre-b...

Lanre Bakare, a Black man with short hair and glasses, looks directly at the camera. The text reads: 1 May, Lanre Bakare: We Were There.

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Reposted by Lanre Bakare

Shirin Hirsch @shirinhirsch.bsky.social · Mar 5

If anyone is about 18th March I'll be giving a public seminar for the Manchester Uni history department. The talk will be exploring photographs of industrial struggle, race and resistance and discussing 'Bolton's Grunwick', a mill strike in 1978. All welcome! events.manchester.ac.uk/event/event:...

History Research Seminar - 'Bolton's Grunwick': Bulmer and Lumb and Asian Working Class Resistance | Events at The University of Manchester

events.manchester.ac.uk

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Lanre Bakare @lanre-bakare.bsky.social · Mar 4

🚨Tour klaxon🚨 I’m taking We Were There out on the road in April and May. Please come and say hi!

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