Simon Heffer
Scarcely English HBK

Simon Heffer | Scarcely English: A-Z of Assaults on our Language

Fri 25 Apr 2025 | 4:00pm - 5:00pm

Join veteran Telegraph journalist Simon Heffer in conversation with Gaby Huddart for a thought-provoking exploration of the state of modern English.

In this engaging session, Heffer highlights the lazy and careless language that has crept into everyday use and makes a compelling plea for a return to precision, accuracy, and elegance. Whilst acknowledging the natural evolution of English, Heffer argues that social media and the internet have unleashed grave assaults on the language, with a lack of rules and the rise of unedited, unregulated writing.

With his signature wit, Heffer tackles common linguistic confusions—such as the misuse of “flaunt” and “flout” or “uninterested” and “disinterested” — and calls out what he describes as “terrible” neologisms, including “infotainment” and “funwashing.”

A journalist for over 30 years with senior roles at The Daily Telegraph and The Spectator, Heffer is also the acclaimed author of Like the Roman: The Life of Enoch Powell and High Minds: The Victorians and the Birth of Modern Britain. This event is essential for anyone passionate about language and its enduring importance.

Talk length: 1 hour including Q&A, followed by a book signing.

Venue: The Arc, Jewry Street, Winchester SO23 8SB

Duration: 1 hour

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Simon Heffer | Scarcely English : A-Z of Assaults on our Language The Arc, Jewry Street, Winchester SO23 8SB £17
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Venue address:

The Arc,

Jewry Street,

Winchester

SO23 8SB

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