Britons are increasingly aware of living in a society plagued by fear and unhappiness. Could our towns and cities be the cause?

Anna Minton offers an in-depth and passionate exploration of the state of Britain today, revealing how private companies have taken control from local government and the electorate, creating spaces designed for profit and watched over by CCTV. Now, untested urban planning has transformed not only our cities, but the very nature of public space, of citizenship, and of trust.

Anna Minton is the recipient of five national journalism awards, and is the author of numerous reports for The Joseph Rowntree Foundation, the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors and the think tank Demos. She is also a member of the writers' panel for the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment, and writes regularly for The Guardian and The New Statesman. Ground Control is her first book.

Michael Rosen is a writer, broadcaster and longtime Dalston resident and campaigner.

This event is organised in partnership with Newham Bookshop.