About us
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
10
Space and Humanism in Fiction and Reality, with Dr Alfredo Carpineti
Old Diorama Arts Centre, 201 Drummond Street, London, GBAn illuminating and entertaining talk exploring the themes of space and humanism in literature and reality
Humans live for stories, and we love seeing ourselves reflected in them. After all, fiction is often used both as metaphor and mirror of our society.
Alfredo will talk about space and astronomy in the real universe and in the many imagined ones - and how that often overlaps with the expectation and representation of humanists.
Following the talk, after a refreshments interval, there will be a Q&A, and we invite people to suggest their favourite fictional representation of a humanist and/or scientists for a lively debate on how we see ourselves and how the world sees us.
Your Speaker
Dr Alfredo Carpineti (he/him):
is a queer Italian astrophysicist, science journalist, and social activist. He is the Senior Staff Writer & Space Correspondent for IFLScience where he has worked for 10 years, writing over 6,000 articles that have been read by millions. He is the author of the upcoming pop astronomy book Invisible Rainbows. He is the chair and founder of Pride in STEM, an award-nominated British charity dedicated to supporting and showcasing LGBTQIA+ in STEM and founder of the International Day of LGBTQIA+ People in STEM.
Post event social
As after all our in-person talks at the Old Diorama Arts Centre, we will move on to a local pub for a post event social. So from 8:30 PM we will be going to the Queen's Head and Artichoke, 30-32 Albany St, London NW1 4EA.
Payment
We ask for a £5 donation to attend this talk, which can be paid on the door. (Or pay what you can afford.)
If you would prefer to make the £5 donation online or can't attend and would still like to support the event please click here.
Alternatively you can do a transfer using our account details: Central London Humanist Group, Sort code: 30-94-25, Account number: 19143068, Reference: Talk
Beacon
Please note this event will be recorded and we will take photos for publication on CLH media channels. If you do not wish to be featured in video or photographs please contact the CLH team in advance or make us aware at the event.
Resources and FAQs
…for members, supporters, and participants in CLH activities
See 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.47 attendees
CLH Humanist Science Fiction Group
·OnlineOnlineMajor upcoming in-person event – sign up using this link.
Hello fellow Humanist Sci-Fi fans!
Instead of our next regular online meeting, the sci-fi group is teaming up with the CLH Talks team to present an in-person event with a sci-fi flavour on 28th of January 2026. This will feature Dr Alfredo Carpinati: scientist, author, podcaster and member of CLH sci-fi group talking about Space and Humanism in Fiction and Reality. It would be great to see lots of you there, primed with questions for the Q&A.
As well as enjoying the talk, members of the sci-fi group can meet up at the venue and at the after-talk pub social nearby.
See the main CLH Meetup page for this event for more details and to sign up for the event.
Have Your Say
- As always, if you have anything you would like to share or discuss let us know too by posting in the CLH sci-fi WhatsApp group or leaving a message on this page.
- As usual, we will also be keen to hear all suggestions for ideas that would be interesting to cover and future events to add to the calendar both online and in person.
- Looking forward to hopefully seeing lots of you so we can boldly do lots together!
………………
Resources and FAQs
…for members, supporters, and participants in CLH activities
See 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 at events do not necessarily reflect the views of the group at large.
………………
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.
………………
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
9 attendees
CLH Book Group 📚The Cut Throat Trial by the Secret Barrister
Royal Festival Hall, Belvedere Road, London, GBJanuary's Book: The Cut Throat Trial by the Secret Barrister writing as SJ Fleet.
It is one of the biggest trials of the year. Three seventeen-year-old boys are accused of the brutal murder of an elderly teacher on New Year's Eve.
Each boy denies it.
Each points the finger at the other two.
But they can’t all be innocent.
The three defence barristers have only one job: to persuade the jury that their client is not guilty. But they’re up against a prosecutor who needs to win the case, no matter the cost.
Because when the game is murder, the competition is deadly.
Launching a brilliant new voice in crime fiction, a criminal barrister with an incomparable insider’s knowledge, The Cut Throat Trial is the most gripping thriller of the year.
'A sharp legal thriller that grips you from the first page . . . a thrilling page turner' - Mason Cross, author of The Killing Season
'A deviously plotted, whip-smart courtroom thriller that oozes tension' - Neil Broadfoot, author of Falling Fast
'Astute, empathetic, and satisfyingly twisty' - Sarah Vaughan, author of Anatomy of a Scandal
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.
***
£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.10 attendees
CLH Pub Night - great conversation, drinks & food with like-minded people 🍔🍺😀
The Somers Town Coffee House, 60 Chalton Street, London, GBOur monthly pub evenings are always a great opportunity to meet interesting people, chat, do a little networking, and enjoy a fun evening out.
Whether you’re new to Humanism or already a member, this is a fantastic space for anyone who is non-religious, questioning their beliefs, or open-minded and looking to mingle.
Time: From 6pm
Feel free to join us whenever you’re able to – we’re often there until closing time.
Venue: Somers Town Coffee House
A lovely pub, close to Euston & Kings Cross stations.
You’ll find us towards the back of the pub, on the left of the bar – look out for the Humanist signs on the tables.
What we talk about:
The conversations are different every time – from current events to humanism and secularism, with plenty of good laughs in between!
If there’s something specific you’d like to talk about, we’d love to hear about it.
We kindly request a contribution of £3 for our events to help cover various admin costs - but first-timers are welcome to give us a free trial. If you prefer you can also pay online by clicking here.
We encourage dialogue, debate, and sharing of information at our events but ask people to keep their interactions cordial. Any views expressed are those of the individual sharing them and may not reflect those of CLH.
More about the venue:
All indoor facilities are wheelchair-friendly/accessible.
Free Wi-fi is available.
It’s easy to reach – close to Euston and Kings Cross stations, and on 18 different bus routes!
View a map here
More about Humanism:
https://www.centrallondonhumanists.org.uk/about-humanism/
We look forward to seeing you!17 attendees
Past events
1333
