Politics of Tea

We cordially invite you to attend a ZOOM presentation at the library on Monday, May 19th, at 4:30pm featuring Claire Evans, who will discuss “The Politics of Tea: The East India Company and British Tea Culture.” In addition to the presentation, there will also be a tea tasting experience.

“The Politics of Tea: The East India Company and British Tea Culture”: For all its genteel connotations, the history of tea is steeped in espionage, rebellion, and the rise of an Empire. Join Anglophile and former UK resident Claire Evans to explore the background of the most lucrative corporate venture the world has ever known and the product it brought to the West at any cost. With a nod to the popular “Bridgerton” series, learn how tea infused British society from top to bottom and what to expect should you ever find yourself at afternoon tea.

Claire Evans is an author, former journalist, attorney, and college lecturer who started her love of most things British as she and her mother watched countless Britcoms on PBS. She studied abroad in London and, against the odds, she married a Brit she met in Peoria, Illinois. They lived in England for a number of years. Her business, Tea with Claire, grew from friends asking for travel advice. Her memoir, High Tea and the Low Down, is the true story of what it’s really like to marry a witty Englishman and move to Britain.

Call us at 815.468.3323 to register.