‘The Glasgow Papers’ edited by Akwugo Emejulu and Mae Shaw is a publication united by a concern about the meaning, politics, possibilities and practices of empowerment. Community empowerment is neither an unproblematic idea nor necessarily an unmitigated social good. The challenge for those working in communities, especially as the state begins to withdraw support, is redefining what we want community empowerment to be and what practices we should undertake to achieve this vision.