Did you know that the original copy of Mary Wollstonecraft’s A Vindication of the Rights of Woman is held here in Hackney? That Ada Lovelace, the world’s first computer programmer, went to school in Stoke Newington? That Dick Turpin once held up carriages on Kingsland Road? Hackney has always been a place of radical thinkers, outsiders and rule-breakers. Yet so much of this history is little known, and in some cases at risk of disappearing altogether.

Our borough has a rich, rebellious and fascinating history that deserves to be celebrated right where it happened. A long-term resident of Hackney, I’ve seen the area change enormously. Some of those changes have been positive, but others mean we risk losing places and stories that have defined the borough for generations.

We’ve already lost important sites such as Brook House and the Four Aces Club, and other historic spaces remain under threat. That’s why celebrating and protecting Hackney’s heritage matters so much. If we don’t tell these stories now, we may lose them.

The response to the first festival showed just how much people care about Hackney’s past. It has been a pleasure meeting so many residents, historians, archivists and community groups who share a passion for the borough and its stories. This year’s festival brings together talks, walks, tours and events across Hackney, exploring everything from radical politics and local landmarks to everyday life in the borough.

We hope you discover something new, meet interesting people, and see Hackney with fresh eyes.

Want to be part of it? Have an idea or want to help out? Join us and make history this May!

Get involved