Diverse Islands: British and Irish Multiculturalism – Kieran Connell, Emer O’Neill & Charlotte Rea-Patel

in conversation with John Siddique

25 October, 2025 at 7:00 pm

Recent years have witnessed disturbing protests against multicultural communities in both the UK and Ireland. Why have these shocking occurrences happened, what does it feel like to live through them and what can we learn from history and literature to make a change? Join Queens University Belfast historian Kieran Connell, Irish writer and presenter Emer O’Neill and British-Irish writer Charlotte Rea-Patel in conversation with poet John Siddique to talk about our diverse islands.

Kieran Connell is a writer and historian of Irish and German heritage. His book, Black Handsworth: Race in 1980s Britain was shortlisted for the Royal Historical Society’s Whitfield Prize. His most recent book is Multicultural Britain: A People’s History. Emer O’Neill is a mixed-race Irish author, educator and broadcaster, known for her honest and engaging conversations around race, identity, neurodiversity and mental health. Her debut children’s book is The Same but Different. Charlotte Rea-Patel is a writer based in County Derry, Northern Ireland. After a creative writing adventure in 2022 with the Irish Writers Centre, Dublin she completed a YA novel. Charlotte finds joy in the natural world. Of Irish–Indian heritage, British writer John Siddique honours the authentic in human experience, offering insight into the nature of life and self-discovery. His books include Signposts of The Spiritual Journey and SO – Collected New Poems.