Neal Ascherson will give the first of the LRB Winter Lectures at the British Museum on Friday 2 March, on 'Europe': Europe is a monster (monstro simile, as they said of the Holy Roman Empire) and a mutant, a creature in its substance unlike the kingdoms and empires and states which preceded it. It's a sponge, indeterminate in outline, soft in texture, absorbing incomers and diffusing wealth and culture. How can it survive? You can book tickets here.