Searching for Britain at the bottom of a glass: Wetherspoons and the Heritage Industry

20. February 2025 19:00

James Rawlings

James Rawlings holds an MA in Anglophone Literature, Cultures, and Media from Goethe University and a BA in English Literature from Swansea University. Since 2012, he’s worked in the Video Game Industry as a Narrative Designer, writing and implementing stories for historical games. This aligns perfectly with his main interests: literature, history, and games. He’s lived in Frankfurt for ten years now, and while it is the best city in Germany, he does occasionally miss the UK.
James will present research from his Master Thesis entitled “British Heritage in JD Wetherspoon: Constructions of Englishness” for which he was awarded the Dagmar-Westberg-Preis.

Why does Wetherspoons, an infamously ruthless pub-chain, champion local history and conservation? How has this unlikely cornerstone translated into financial success and political influence? In this talk, I will explore the peculiar context of the Heritage Industry, reactionary populism, and the fight over what it means to be British. We will take a deep dive into the cultural enterprise of Tim Martin, from the ripples of Orwell’s Moon Under Water, to the fierce storm of Brexit. From tweedy country taverns to modern hybrid Disco-Spoons, no coaster will be left unturned in search of answers.

Please register for the Pressclub by Feb. 14 and for Zoom by Feb. 18 at dbg-rheinmain@t-online.de. Registered Zoom-participants will receive login details on Feb. 19.

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