BU Research Blog

This afternoon the editors of the newly published book Poverty in the UK: The Lived Experience held their book launch in a packed lecture room in the Bournemouth Gateway Building [1].  The editors are BU’s Prof. Mel Hughes, and local collaborators Debbie James and Carrie-Anne Mizen. Debbie is a mother of two adults, a writer and performer with The Outsiders Project, Community Commissioner with BCP Poverty Truth 1, and an active member of BU’s PIER partnership. Carrie-Anne is also a parent and silent activist against poverty, and a trustee of the poverty truth network.  The audience today included both chapter authors and supporter of the book, some people were local and otherse came from as afar a field as Glasgow and Edinburgh.  The editors talked about original idea behind the book and the link to the Poverty Truth Network, and they added that all royalties will go to the Poverty Truth Network.  The book published by Routledge has 16 chapters and a seperate conclusion, nearly all chapters are co-produced by members of the community and several BU academics.  With the the overwhelming majority of each chapter being based on lived experiences of the first author.  The book was brought to live by some of the contributors reading poems written for this edited volume.

Congratulations to all involved!

Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen

Reference:

1. Hughes, M., James, D. & Mizen, C.A (eds.) Poverty in the UK: The Lived Experienc, London: Routledge, 2026.