Publisher to host EU celebration night on day of Article 50 trigger

Canbury Press is to host a gala evening to "celebrate the contribution of Europeans to the UK" as prime minister Theresa May prepares to trigger Article 50.

Intended to look at the "huge economic, cultural and social contribution EU nationals have made to the UK" and "make it clear that those who have made it their home are always welcome here", the night will see political writers and researchers highlight the benefits of migration to the UK. Meanwhile comedy talent - including Grainne Maguire, Sindhu Vee and Shazia Mirza - will throw a satirical eye on Brexit Britain.

The event has been organised following a successful campaign to send Brexit: What the Hell Happens Now? (Canbury Press) by politics.co.uk editor Ian Dunt to all 972 politicians in the UK. 'Stand up for EU nationals in Britain: A Celebration' will take place at Conway Hall, Holborn, on Wednesday 29th March - the date May has announced will trigger Article 50, officially notifying the European Union that the UK is leaving. The profits from the night will go to the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants, which campaigns for justice in immigration and asylum law.

Martin Hickman, m.d. of Canbury Press, told The Bookseller that the event was organised to "counter the prevailing narrative that EU migrants are a drain on this country" and to "thank them for everything they do for us as a country".

"It feels like we are in the grip of something approaching a national hysteria at the moment", Hickman said. "As Ian’s book shows, the facts can – and do – tell a very different story to the one blasting out so loudly in public."

He continued: "Although this is a serious subject the evening itself will be uplifting and fun."

Jim Walsh, c.e.o. of Conway Hall, added: “In a climate of uncertainty and changes ricocheting across society, it is imperative that we find a way to understand what is at stake. So, let’s listen, learn, and laugh as we celebrate just how much of a role EU nationals play in the UK.”

Speaking in Swansea on Monday, May said she was intent on "delivering on Brexit and getting the right deal" and added that the referendum result was "was not just about leaving the EU" but was a vote for a "change in the way the country works".

"Part of that is building a strong economy and ensuring that the benefits of economic growth and prosperity are felt across every part of the UK," she said.

Meanwhile Brexit Secretary David Davis said the UK was now "on the threshold of the most important negotiation for this country for a generation".

"The government is clear in its aims," he said. "A deal that works for every nation and region of the UK and indeed for all of Europe - a new, positive partnership between the UK and our friends and allies in the European Union."

Tickets for the Canbury Press event are available here.