Public book talk 

14/04/2026 

17:00 - 18:00 

Up in the Air tells the story of Britain’s multistorey council housing from its beginnings to the present day. 

Across the decades, the high rise has symbolised the welfare state for better or worse. 

Holly Smith takes the residents’ perspective, capturing the human side of high-rise Britain. 

Dr Holly Smith is a historian of architecture and protest. She is a Fellow at St John’s College, University of Cambridge. 

Link to register: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/up-in-the-air-a-history-of-high-rise-britain-tickets-1986536583397