Founder Members
Kevin Bean is a lecturer in Irish politics at the Institute of Irish Studies, University of Liverpool. His research interests include Provisional republicanism, state counter-insurgency strategies and the development of nationalism as a political force in contemporary Europe. His publications include The New Politics of Sinn Féin, Liverpool 2007; ‘ThePolitics of Fear? Provisionalism, Loyalism and the ‘New Politics’ of Northern Ireland’ in G.Spencer and J. McAuley (eds), Ulster Loyalism after the Good Friday Agreement: History, Identity and Change, Basingstoke 2011; ‘Civil society, the state and conflict transformation in the nationalist community’, in M.Power (ed.), Building Peace in Northern Ireland, Liverpool (2012 ); ‘Leaving the Soundbites at home? Tony Blair, New Labour and Northern Ireland 1993-2007’, in L.Marley (ed.), The British Labour Party and Twentieth Century Ireland, Manchester University Press, 2016
Christopher Beckett
Chris is a Client & Operations Manager at Elite IB, a private tuition firm specialising in the International Baccalaureate and university admissions consultancy. Prior to this he worked at Wymondham College a state boarding and day school in Norfolk in pastoral support role. He has a deep interest in education, pedagogy and the direction of contemporary education.
Although currently living in London, Chris is a committee member of the Liverpool Salon. He has written sporadically for Spiked and was involved as a researcher for the Free Speech University Rankings launch, as well as being published by Index on Censorship and the National Association of Scholars in the United States.
Chris holds an MA in Sociology from the University of Liverpool where he focused on higher education and infantilisation, and completed his BA at the University of Sheffield.
Pauline Hadaway
Pauline has worked in arts and education in the UK and Ireland since 1990 and is co-founder of The Liverpool Salon, a new forum for public debate on Merseyside. Pauline is undertaking a professional doctorate at the University of Manchester’s Institute of Cultural Practices, researching different uses of cultural heritage as a tool for economic regeneration in Northern Ireland and Britain. Pauline has been published widely including: ‘Policing the Public Gaze’ (2009), published by The Manifesto Club; ‘Re-imagining Titanic, re-imaging Belfast’, in ‘Relaunching Titanic: Memory and Marketing in the ‘Post Conflict City’ (2013) and has written a chapter, ‘Escaping the Panopticon’ for Photography Reframed, I.B Tauris 2017.
John Hutchinson is an associate lecturer for the Open University tutoring 1st and 2nd year modules at undergraduate level for the OU Business School. He specialises in courses on leadership and change, the principles of business and management and professional communications skills. John also examines economics for national exam boards and has worked in many contexts from scrap metal processing, waste management and recycling to FE and language schools. In addition to an educational career, he continues with private consultancy in waste management and training and with SMEs. John reviews and writes for the Manchester and Liverpool Salons from time to time on themes ranging from current affairs to Hispanic cinema. He has an active interest in the arts, Spanish and South American cultures and is also a classically trained amateur singer. John is a founder member of the Liverpool Salon.Kevin Bean
Denis Joe
Denis Joe O’Driscoll was a founder member of the Liverpool Salon. He was also a member of the Manchester Salon and as well as joining in discussion he became one of the most prolific writers for the Salon’s website, reviewing films, poetry, literature, theatre and writing opinion articles on politics and most impressively reviewing musical performances, especially opera. He was also published in Culture Wars and spiked. His main interests were classical music, opera, philosophy. Denis was a published poet, enjoyed debate and acted as a judge for the national schools debating competition Debating Matters . He also spoke at the Manchester Salon and Birmingham Salon. Denis passed away at home in Liverpool on 25 October 2016 after a year in which he had battled bravely against ill health. Although his death was sudden and untimely, Denis was blessed with a wide circle of good friends and a loving family and he enjoyed his books, music, politics and writing to the end. He leaves a written legacy some of which is published on this website. We all miss him very much but we’re glad to have known him and will remember him with great admiration and affection.
