Ecademi is proud to announce a major new nationwide tour with Emeritus Professor David Wilson, one of Britain’s leading criminologists, coinciding with the publication of his new book A History of Britain in 20 Murders, 1885–2025 (Sphere, September 2025).

The tour, which launches this autumn, will visit cities across the UK, offering audiences the chance to engage with Wilson’s unique retelling of British history through the lens of landmark murder cases. Far from being a catalogue of crimes, his work uses moments of lethal violence to reveal how social, cultural and political life in Britain has evolved — and to challenge the myths we tell ourselves about what it means to be British.

Each event will combine storytelling, scholarship and discussion, connecting rigorous academic insight with the kind of compelling narrative that makes ideas accessible to wider audiences. Case studies range from the murder of Helen Priestly in 1930s Aberdeen, which exposes the cultural pressures of respectability and community life, to the Blitz-era killings that sit uneasily alongside the myth of national unity, and the spree murders of Derrick Bird in Cumbria, examined as a study of masculinity and social fracture in modern Britain.

For Ecademi, the tour represents more than an event series. It is part of our broader mission to bring intellectual conversation out of the university and into public spaces. By working with leading academics, authors and public figures, we aim to create platforms where challenging ideas can reach new audiences, sparking debate, reflection and learning well beyond the classroom.

With its blend of history, criminology and cultural critique, the David Wilson tour will be one of the most significant public-facing projects we have curated to date — a milestone in Ecademi’s growing role as a bridge between academic expertise and public engagement.

Details of tour dates and venues can be found at www.crimesofbritain.co.uk.