What we’re about
Welcome to Central London Humanists!
CLH provides a meeting place for humanists, the secular, and other non-religious people, particularly those who live or work in the central London area of the UK.
Every month we hold a talk/lecture and several social events. Our social activities include group socials, a book group, picnics, walks, museum & cultural visits and theatre trips.
If you're not religious, or doubting your faith or belief and like open-minded communities, and would like to meet like minded people, come along and join us!
As we don't have a membership fee, a donation of £3 is suggested at each meeting. This goes towards our running costs, partnership fees and charitable donations. If it's your first time, we don't expect a donation.
We are a partner group of Humanists UK.
We are an Associate Member of Humanists International.
We're also on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. Some of our previous talks are available on YouTube.
Anyone who joins us on Meetup can participate fully in events. They can suggest events, participate in organising events and much more.
As we are such a large group, each year we hold an AGM and elect a committee to help manage the group. To be a voting member of Central London Humanists, or to be a member of the committee, you must be a paid up member of Humanists UK (to join go here).
Upcoming events
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•OnlineIn Search of Zera Yacob — Ethiopia’s Humanist Philosopher w/ Dr Jonathan Egid
OnlineReason, doubt, and dignity in 17th-century Ethiopia. 📜✨
CLH & Association of Black Humanists present: In Search of Zera Yacob with Dr Jonathan Egid
We’re delighted to continue our Global Origins of Humanism series—exploring world philosophies that have shaped humanist thought—with a deep dive into the Ethiopian texts known as the Ḥatäta. Often associated with Zera Yacob (and his student Walda Heywat), these works champion rational inquiry, ethical reflection, and the worth of the individual—ideas that resonate strikingly with modern humanism.
In this talk, Dr Jonathan Egid, (Lecturer in African Philosophy at SOAS and BBC New Generation Thinker 2024) introduces the Ḥatäta, unpacks their arguments, and explains the long-running authorship debate: are these genuine 17th-century Ethiopian treatises—or later forgeries? And what’s at stake, historically and politically, in that question?
We’ll explore:
- The Ḥatäta’s core themes: reason, critique of dogma, conscience, and human dignity
- How Zera Yacob’s ideas sit within Ethiopian intellectual traditions (and alongside early modern philosophy elsewhere)
- The authorship controversy and why it matters for global histories of philosophy
- What these texts contribute to today’s humanist values and practice
💬 A live Q&A will follow the talk.
About the speaker
Dr Jonathan Egid teaches philosophy at SOAS, University of London. His doctoral research at King’s College London examined the Ḥatäta Zär’a Yaʿǝqob and the debate over their authorship. He co-edited the recent open-access volume on the Ḥatäta debate and organised the first international conference dedicated to these texts. Jonathan is a BBC Radio 3 New Generation Thinker (2024) and hosts Philosophising In…, a project highlighting philosophy in less-studied languages.Learn more about Dr Egid and the topic:
- 🌐In Search of Zera Yacob (project page): jonathanegid.com/in-search-of-zera-yacob
- 🗂️ Zera Yacob Conference site: zerayacobconference.weebly.com
- 🎧 BBC Radio 3 – The Essay: “A Philosophical Forgery?” (New Generation Thinkers 2024)
- 📝 Article: “Yacob and Amo: Africa’s precursors to Locke, Hume and Kant”, Aeon
When & How to Join
Wednesday 15 October, 7:00–8:30pm (UK time) — Online (Zoom).Please RSVP here on Meetup to receive your Zoom link.
This event is free and open to all. We don’t charge for online talks, but if you’re able, a £3 donation helps cover our costs and keeps the programme going. Please use this link to donate. Thank you!
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Central London Humanists is a volunteer-run community group. We aim to provide a safe space for the humanist community in London to come together for fellowship, learning and fun. We receive no financial support and are entirely funded by donations from our membership and event attendees.Our events are 18+ unless accompanied by a parent or guardian. We encourage dialogue, debate, and sharing of information, but ask people to keep their comments cordial. Any individual's views expressed here do not necessarily reflect the views of the group at large.
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Stay Connected with Central London Humanists- Subscribe to our mailing List
- For more events follow us on Meetup
- Chat with fellow members in our WhatsApp Community
- Follow us on Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube
- Listen to the Humanism Now Podcast
For any questions email us at info@centrallondonhumanists.org.uk
31 attendees
Festival of Free Thinking 2025
Old Diorama Arts Centre, 201 Drummond Street, London, GBPlease use the Eventbrite link below to sign up if you would like to attend.
We invite you to join the Association of Black Humanists and Central London Humanists as we celebrate Black History Month at the Festival of Freethinking 2025. We celebrate breaking free from both Physical and Mental Shackles – a Joyful Celebration of Liberation from Colonialism & Religion.
Step into a day of colour, rhythm and truth-telling as we gather for a unique celebration of freethinking and freedom on:
Date: Thursday, 23rd October 2025
Venue: Old Diorama Arts Centre, 201 Drummond Street, Regent’s Place, London, NW1 3FE
Time: 6:30pm - 9.30pm
Please ensure you get your ticket on Eventbrite here:
RSVP Yes is not enough, please click above link to obtain tickets (£6) on Eventbrite.Expect African beats, delicious food and drinks. There will be personal stories from those who have freed themselves from the chains of imposed religions from colonial legacies.
There will also be a call-to-action workshop - ‘Seeds of Freedom: Nurturing Freethinking in UK Black Youths.’Following the workshop, there will be a community building and networking session.
This is not just a party — it’s a living testimony of liberation, resistance, and joy. A space where we honour the struggles of the past, celebrate the courage of the present, and imagine a freer future together.
✨ African beats by Master Drummer, Henri Gaobi
✨Comedy by our very own up and coming stand-up comedy star, Audrey Simmons
✨ Voices of Liberation: Ordinary people, extraordinary journeys
Come celebrate. Because freedom is our birthright, and our festival!
Please ensure you get your ticket on Eventbrite here:
RSVP Yes is not enough, please click above link to obtain tickets on Eventbrite.CLH Resources and FAQs
…for members, supporters, and participants in CLH activitiesSee here for our knowledge base packed with important, useful information about the group, the organisers, and what we offer the community. See here for our code of conduct and complaints policy.
Our events are 18+ unless accompanied by a parent or guardian. We encourage dialogue, debate, and sharing of information, but ask people to keep their comments cordial. Any individual's views expressed here do not necessarily reflect the views of the group at large.
16 attendees
CLH Book Group 📚 Freedom is a Constant Struggle by Angela Davis
Royal Festival Hall, Belvedere Road, London, GBOctober's Book: Freedom is a Constant Struggle: Ferguson, Palestine and the Foundations of a Movement by Angela Y Davis.
In these newly collected essays, interviews and speeches, world-renowned activist and scholar Angela Y. Davis illuminates the connections between struggles against state violence and oppression throughout history and around the world.
Reflecting on the importance of black feminism, intersectionality and prison abolitionism for today's struggles, Davis discusses the legacies of previous liberation struggles, from the Black Freedom Movement to the South African anti-Apartheid movement. She highlights connections and analyses today's struggles against state terror, from Ferguson to Palestine.
Facing a world of outrageous injustice, Davis challenges us to imagine and build the movement for human liberation. And in doing so, she reminds us that 'Freedom is a constant struggle.'
The meeting starts at 7:15. At 7:30 pm we will break up into small groups. Those familiar with the CLH Book Group meeting know how this works: in each group we take turns introducing ourselves and giving our 1 minute thoughts on the book. It's important not to go over a minute and not to interrupt other people's minute so that everyone gets a chance to participate. After this first round, each group discusses for another 20 minutes or so.
We then shuffle the groups so as to talk to as many different people as possible and in the new groups repeat our introductions and 1 minute thoughts. We'll do this a couple of times before coming all together at the end in one last big group.
While we are very social and welcoming, the book group's primary focus is on discussing books. Feel free to turn up if you haven't managed to finish this month's book but note that the group works best when we have all read at least half of the book and are prepared to share our opinions.
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£3 per person to attend. If it's your first time, come and try us out for free!
If you prefer, you can pay online, by clicking here.We encourage dialogue, debate and sharing of information on our site but ask people to keep their comments cordial. Any views expressed here are those of the individual posting them and may not reflect those of CLH.
11 attendees
Past events
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