Across England, one of the wealthiest yet most unequal nations in the world, families are being trapped in debt and homelessness. In 'Debt Trap Nation: Family Homelessness in a Failing State', Katherine Brickell and Melanie Nowicki take the reader inside this national scandal. Hundreds of thousands of children are living in "prison-like" hotel rooms and other deadly temporary accommodation for months, years and sometimes their entire childhood.

Join us in conversation with the authors as they offer an intimate and politically energised account of a failing state in technicolour. The decimation of social housing, an out-of-control private-rented sector, austerity, welfare cuts and a cost-of-living crisis has deepened poverty and fed a debt trap that consumes families and is now driving local authorities to bankruptcy. They argue that mothers and their children have not fallen into this trap, they have been pulled into it. It is time to rail against state-cultivated and politically convenient stigma that equates debt and homelessness with personal moral failure. It is time to flip the script. It is not families who are failing, families are being failed.

Copies of 'Debt Trap Nation' will be available to purchase at this event.

https://www.debt-trap-nation.org/book

Venue: The Atrium, Unit 4, Mentmore Studios, 11 Argall Avenue, London E10 7QE

Access: If you have any access needs, please let us know.

Date: Thursday 27th November 2025

Time: Doors open at 6.30pm for 7pm start

End time: 8pm

Tickets: Free

Reduced price tickets

We want to make the events as accessible as possible. We know how hard things are for some people right now and we want to do what we can to help. To help people who might find cost or other challenges a barrier to attending, we have a limited number of reduced price tickets for every event.

Accessibility information

The Atrium is located in an old industrial building that does not have an accessible toilet or dedicated baby change facilities. We recognise that this is a significant barrier and does not reflect the welcoming, inclusive space we wish to offer. We wish this were not the case and are truly sorry if this prevents you from joining us for an event.

Additional Information

The Atrium retail store will be open 30 minutes before and after the event, selling a range of beautiful furnishings, homewares, gifts and beauty. All proceeds from this event and from sales are in aid of Furnishing Futures charity and go directly towards our work creating healing homes for survivors of domestic abuse.