Paul Kingsnorth against the machine

In Against the Machine, novelist, poet, and essayist Paul Kingsnorth presents a wholly original — and terrifying — account of the technological-cultural matrix enveloping all of us. With insight into the spiritual and economic roots of techno-capitalism, Kingsnorth reveals how the Machine, in the name of progress, has choked Western civilisation, is destroying the Earth itself, and is reshaping us in its image. From the First Industrial Revolution to the rise of artificial intelligence, he shows how the hollowing out of humanity has been a long game-and how your very soul is at stake.It takes effort to remain truly human in the age of the Machine.

Here Kingsnorth reminds us what humanity requires: a healthy suspicion of entrenched power; connection to land, nature and heritage; and a deep attention to matters of the spirit. Prophetic and poetic, Against the Machine is a spiritual manual for dissidents in the technological age.

Date: 18 November 2025, 17:30pm
Venue: Blackwell’s Bookshop, Oxford (OX1 3BQ)
Speakers: Paul Kingsnorth, Rupert Read

The poster for the Paul Kingsnorth Against the Machine event. The top half of the poster shows the cover of Paul Kingsnorth's book, with portrait images of Paul and Rupert in the bottom right corner. The bottom half of the poster presents the event details.
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About Paul Kingnorth

Paul Kingsnorth is an English writer who lives in the west of Ireland. He is a former deputy editor of The Ecologist and a co-founder of the Dark Mountain Project.

Kingsnorth’s non-fiction writing tends to address macro themes like environmentalism, globalisation, and the challenges posed to humanity by civilisation-level trends. His fiction, notably the Buccmaster Trilogy, tends to be mythological and multi-layered.