Thomas Paine: The freethinking democratic hero cancelled from popular history

Join visual biographer (and ardent admirer) graphic novelist Polyp for an illustrated exploration of the ideas and the hilariously dramatic life of the extraordinary thinker Thomas Paine, examining how the man who sparked the American War of Independence could possibly have been erased from the usual public narrative.

His experiences with the fanatically intolerant Robespierre regime raise challenging questions about contemporary polarisations and denouncements, and the vilification he faced in his life for challenging established religion makes for a fascinating tale of humanist values clashing with authoritarian beliefs.

Plus, he was once a pirate! HARRRR!

Our Speaker: Polyp has drawn cartoons for many publications, and recently spoke at Humanists UK Convention 2025 in Sheffield. His graphic novels tend to focus on deliberately suppressed history or events from the past that challenge how we see the present.

He is the chair and founder of the Peterloo Memorial Campaign in Manchester, which successfully lobbied for a permanent physical tribute to those who died.

Polyp describes himself as "a secular, freethinking humanist with a deep belief in rationalism, scientific scepticism and in confronting the tough ethical issues our culture often tries to ignore. I detest dogma, superstition, fanaticism and rigid ideologies of all kinds."

Join us to explore this fascinating topic.
Register here:
https://humanists.uk/civicrm/event/info/?reset=1&id=2467...