Thu 05 Feb
|The Dutch Centre
The North South Divide with Niels Posthumus & Merlin Daleman
What happens when a journalist and a photographer travel across Britain to document the places most of us never see? On 5 February, the Dutch Centre welcomes Niels Posthumus and Merlin Daleman for a rare, one‑night event exploring the real story behind the UK’s North–South divide.
Time & Location
05 Feb 2026, 19:00 – 20:15
The Dutch Centre, 7 Austin Friars, London EC2N 2HA, UK
About The Event
London is one of Europe’s wealthiest regions.
Yet millions across the UK live in areas that have been in economic decline for decades, now ranking among the poorest in Western Europe.
How did this gap grow so wide — and what does it mean for the country’s future?
Niels and Merlin spent years travelling through former industrial towns, coastal communities, and rural regions, meeting the people behind the statistics. Their work reveals a Britain that is changing fast—and in ways that affect us all.
What you’ll experience
A gripping, first‑hand account of their journey
Stunning images from Merlin’s photography book Mutiny
Insights from Niels’ acclaimed non‑fiction book Verdeeld Koninkrijk
A candid discussion about inequality, identity, and the future of the UK
A live Q&A with both speakers
This is not a political debate—it’s a human story, told through two remarkable lenses.
Reserve your seat now and be part of the conversation.
Journalist Niels Posthumus has travelled extensively with photographer Merlin Daleman, documenting the widening gap in a series of articles on inequality, political polarisation and the rise of the radical right. The result is his Dutch non-fiction book Verdeeld Koninkrijk (Divided Kingdom), which echoes the warning of economic geographer Philip McCann: the UK is “dislocating into two or possibly three quite separate economies.” Indeed, McCann even added that the country is regionally “disconnecting” and “decoupling.”
British-Dutch photographer Merlin Daleman has captured this landscape in his book Mutiny. Having moved to the Netherlands as a young man, he long kept his distance from his home turf. But on returning a few years ago, he was struck by what he saw: time seemed to have stood still, and the towns of his youth showed none of the progress evident in London and the South. Doors open at 6:30pm.
*** Friends get an automatic 20% discount on this event when logging in to their account ***
This event is kindly sponsored by the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands
Tickets
General Admission
Sale ends
05 Feb, 20:15
*** Friends get an automatic 20% discount on this event when logging in to their account ***
From £8.50 to £17.50
£17.50
£8.50
Total
£0.00