David Olusoga to give South Shields lecture
The award-winning historian and broadcaster has been announced as the speaker for the long-running civic lecture.
Historian and broadcaster David Olusoga has been announced as the speaker for the 2026 South Shields Lecture.
The acclaimed writer and Professor of Public History at the University of Manchester will appear in conversation with former foreign secretary David Miliband at the event, which takes place at Harton Academy on July 10.
Now in its 16th year, the South Shields Lecture was launched in 2001 and has become a well-established fixture in the region’s civic and cultural calendar. Previous speakers have included Hillary Clinton, Patrick Stewart, Danny Boyle, James Corden and former prime ministers John Major and Tony Blair.
Announcing the appointment, David Miliband praised Olusoga’s work bringing historical insight to contemporary issues.
“David Olusoga is not just a world-renowned historian. He is someone committed to learning from history and explaining its relevance to the contemporary world. His voice is passionate and insightful, bringing humanity as well as learning to the topics that interest him. These qualities - and his childhood in Gateshead - made him a natural for the South Shields Lecture.”
Olusoga, who grew up in Gateshead, said he was delighted to be returning to the region.
“I’m thrilled to be giving this year’s South Shields Lecture and to be returning to my home region. The first piece of long-form historical writing I ever produced was a thesis about the history of my home-town of Gateshead.
“The history and the future of the North East - where much of my family still lives - has always been close to my heart.”
One of the UK’s most prominent historians, Olusoga has written extensively on empire, race and slavery, and has become widely known through television series including Black and British: A Forgotten History, The World’s War and A House Through Time, which featured a home in Newcastle.
The lecture is sponsored by the University of Sunderland alongside Colmans of South Shields and Fenwick. Tickets for the event are free, although demand is expected to be high, with priority given to residents in the South Shields constituency.
Requests for tickets should be made by email to: events@hartonacademy.co.uk. Successful applicants will be notified by the end of April.