How I Wrote This with Matthew Worley

Join the NACBS and the Journal of British Studies for our second virtual discussion of “How I Wrote This”. In this one-hour session, we invite an author who has published a successful and popular article to explain how it happened.

“Past! Future! In Extreme!: Looking for Meaning in the “New Romantics,” 1978-1982,” published in May 2024, offers an analysis of a British youth culture known for its style and its experimental sounds. Author Matthew Worley discusses his experience of writing—and revising—the article for JBS. As an added bonus, this is the first JBS article with a playlist! Check out the songs mentioned in the article on Spotify or YouTube!

When:         Friday, September 19, 2025

                    4 pm UK Time / 5 pm Europe

[North America: 11 am ET/10 am CT/9 am MT/8 am PT]

                      **apologies to our friends in southerly time zones

Where:        ZOOM (link after registering)

Editors Nadja Durbach and Tammy Proctor will facilitate the conversation, and there will be time for a few questions at the end. Given the Friday timing, we propose that attendees consider this a coffee break (in North America) and happy hour (in the UK and Europe). With that idea in mind, here’s a simple recipe for a Blitz (read the article to find out why that name might feature in the discussion) and frappé (for the morning folks). Or just bring a cup of tea!

Blitz Cocktail

30 ml gin

30 ml vodka

Top up glass with soda water and add a lime wedge (squeezed) over ice. Stir!

Frappé

2 shots espresso

½ c milk or milk substitute

1 t. maple syrup or honey

Cinnamon pinch

Ice

Put in cocktail shaker and shake hard for 30 seconds, then strain into a glass.

BE SURE TO PRE-REGISTER!

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Matthew Worley is a Professor of Modern History at the University of Reading. His has written widely on punk-related youth cultures, including the books No Future: Punk, Politics and British Youth Culture, 1976-84 (2017) and Zerox Machine: Punk, Post-Punk and Fanzines in Britain, 1976-88 (2024)

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