Hillary Rodham Clinton: What Happened, Southbank Centre

What happened? What on earth has happened? It's the question that echoed around the world when a pussy-grabbing tangerine was elected leader of America. We still ask it now, beleaguered by bad news, as fatal race riots prompt references to owning vineyards and climate change is dismissed as 'weather extremes'.

Who better to unravel the alarming near-dystopian state of American politics than the president who should have been. Hillary Rodham Clinton, the pantsuit-wearing Democrat, comes to London to speak frankly:

'In the past, for reasons I try to explain, I've often felt I had to be careful in public, like I was up on a wire without a net. Now I'm letting my guard down,' she explains in the introduction to new book What Happened.

And oh boy do we want to be there to hear Clinton open up. In her only London appearance, she will describe the reality of running against Trump, the mistakes and milestones of her own campaign and how she has coped with defeat.

Politicians turned public speakers might be two a penny, but Clinton breaks the mould. She's the fiendishly intelligent former First Lady turned New York Senator and Secretary of State.

While Barack Obama made history as the first black president, Clinton faced her own triumphs and prejudices as the first woman to be nominated for either of major political parties. The backlash was sobering. Charges of 'Crooked Hillary', gibes about the 'Nasty Woman', sexist Republicans and scrutiny over every haircut and outfit choice dogged her presidential campaign.

A scandal over deleted emails overshadowed that fact that her opponent once took to Twitter to ask: 'If Hillary Clinton can’t satisfy her husband what makes her think she can satisfy America?' (April 2015. Trump later deleted the tweet).

There's enough foul play to fill a whole folio, but Clinton doesn't get bogged down in finger-pointing. 'I go back over my own shortcomings and the mistakes we made. I take responsibility for all of them' she explains in What Happened. It's more grace than most could muster, but it's just what we'd expect from someone who used a speech about her own defeat to raise up and inspire women.

Along with an unparalleled insight into 2016's tumultuous election, this Southbank Centre Hillary Clinton talk will offer some hope for all of those who are still with her, and remind London that love still can trump hate.

Each ticket includes a copy of Hillary Rodham Clinton's memoir What Happened and, as it is her only UK appearance tickets will be in high demand. So set an alarm and be ready to book:

Priority booking for Southbank Centre members opened at 10am on Thursday 14 September. Tickets went on sale to the general public at 10am on Friday 15 September.