This event will take place at the Harriet Delph room by the cafe at the Stoke Newington High Street entrance to the park.

Tickets: £6

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Isaac Watts (1674-1748) is remembered as one of Abney Park’s most famous connections, for his hymns – which are still sung to this day. In his lifetime, Watts’ hymns were highly controversial, marking a transition away from the practice of psalm-singing. Coupled with his theological views, which brought widespread criticism, Watts can rightly be seen as a radical.

Dr Daniel Johnson is one of the country’s foremost Isaac Watts scholars. He completed his PhD in 2024 from the University of Leicester, and works as a lecturer and researcher at a number of universities. He recently appeared on BBC’s Songs of Praise, filmed in Abney Park, to share some of his knowledge on Watts.

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This event is part of Abney Park Trust's 2025 "Radical Writers" festival. The festival explores the works of writers inspired by Abney's and Hackney's diverse history of radical thought and action. We’ll be joined by scribes from across an array of genres, disciplines and backgrounds. And we’ll be thinking about radicalism in many senses – old, new, cultural, political, social and beyond. To see the full line up and book tickets for other events, visit abneypark.org/radicalwriters.

Special thanks to our sponsor, local butcher and deli Meat N16, for their generous support of the festival.