Whatever happened to British protest? For a nation that brought the world Chartism, the Suffragettes, the Tolpuddle Martyrs, and so many other grassroots social movements, Britain rarely celebrates its long, great tradition of people power. In this timely and evocative collection, twenty authors have assembled to re-imagine key moments of British protest, from the Peasants’ Revolt of 1381 to the anti-Iraq War demo of 2003. Written in close consultation with historians, sociologists and eyewitnesses – who also contribute afterwords – these stories follow fictional characters caught up in real-life struggles, offering a streetlevel perspective on the noble art of resistance. In the age of fake news and post-truth politics this book fights fiction with (well researched, historically accurate) fiction.
Arvustused
'A wonderful collection of stories about the enriching beauty and strength of protest. A book to inspire us all.' - Maxine Peake; 'As the book enters the 20th Century, the chapters become infused with an awareness of the inequalities and discrimination of our age, becoming a call to action. The variety of storytelling ensures that the protests don't feel indistinct or hopeless, yet the injustices described feel depressingly familiar' - The New Statesman
Introduction |
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The peasants' revolt, 1381 |
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1 | (16) |
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11 | (6) |
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17 | (12) |
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25 | (4) |
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29 | (18) |
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40 | (7) |
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47 | (24) |
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A Fiery Flag Unfurled in Coleman Street |
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62 | (9) |
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The Pentrich Rising, 1817 |
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71 | (12) |
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77 | (6) |
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83 | (30) |
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108 | (5) |
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113 | (12) |
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There are Five Ways Out of this Room |
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118 | (7) |
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The National Blind March, 1920 |
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125 | (22) |
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141 | (6) |
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The Aldermaston March, 1958--63 |
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147 | (32) |
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168 | (11) |
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179 | (22) |
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192 | (9) |
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Grosvenor Sq. Anti-Vietnam War Demo, 1968 |
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201 | (14) |
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209 | (6) |
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215 | (22) |
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228 | (9) |
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Night Cleaners' Strike, 1971--2 |
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237 | (34) |
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265 | (6) |
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The Welsh Language Protests, 1979 |
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271 | (12) |
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277 | (6) |
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New Cross Fire & The Brixton Riots, 1981 |
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283 | (20) |
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298 | (5) |
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Greenham Common, 1981--90 |
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303 | (32) |
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329 | (6) |
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The Battle of Orgreave, 1984 |
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335 | (40) |
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366 | (9) |
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375 | (30) |
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393 | (12) |
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405 | (24) |
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422 | (7) |
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The Anti-Iraq war Demo, 2003 |
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429 | (18) |
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442 | (5) |
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About the Authors |
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447 | (6) |
About the Consultants |
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453 | |
Sandra Alland is an Edinburgh-based Scottish-Canadian writer, interdisciplinary artist, small press publisher, performer, filmmaker and curator. Alland's work focuses on social justice, language, humour and experimental forms. Martyn Bedford is a British author. He is an alumnus of the University of East Anglia. The first twelve years of Martyn Bedford's writing career were spent as a journalist on regional newspapers. After studying at the UEA he now writes novels for adults and teenagers and teaches creative writing. Sean Cernow is an actor and poet. Kate Clanchy was educated in Edinburgh and Oxford University. She lives in Oxfordshire where she now works as a teacher, journalist and freelance writer. Her poetry and seven radio plays have been broadcast by BBC Radio. Born in Salford in 1944, David Constantine worked for thirty years as a university teacher of German language and literature. He has published several volumes of poetry, most recently, Nine Fathom Deep (2009). Frank Cottrell-Boyce is a British screenwriter, novelist and occasional actor, known for his children's fiction and for his collaborations with film director Michael Winterbottom. Mandy Theresa O'Loughlin, known professionally as Kit de Waal, is an English writer. Kit worked for fifteen years in criminal and family law. She was a magistrate and used to advise Social Services on the care of foster children, as well as writing training manuals on adoption and foster care. Stuart Evers was born in Macclesfield, Cheshire in 1976. His first book, Ten Stories About Smoking, was published by Picador in 2011 and won The London Book Award.Sarah Maitland is a British writer and feminist. An accomplished novelist, she is also known for her short stories. Joanna Quinn is studying for a PhD in Creative Writing at Goldsmiths, University of London. Her work has been published in the New Welsh Review and the Bridport Prize anthology. She was one of four writers short-listed for the Arts Foundation Fellowship in Short Stories. She lives in Dorset. Francesca Rhydderch's debut novel, The Rice Paper Diaries, was longlisted for the Authors' Club Best First Novel Award and won the Wales Book of the Year Fiction Prize 2014. She was also shortlisted for the BBC National Short Story Award 2014. Jacob Ross is a novelist, short story wiriter, editor and creative writing tutor. His novel Pynter Bender was published to much critical literary acclaim and was shortlisted for the 2009 Commonwealth Writers Regional Prize and chosen as one of the British Authors Club's top three Best First Novels.