You Can Never Go Home Anymore
‘Peterdown’, David Annand’s novel of class and regional divides, threatens to be the state-of-the-nation novel we badly need – but settles too often for easy caricature.
4361 Articles by:
Jenna Norman
Jenna Norman is a London-based writer and campaigner.
How ‘Kill the Bill’ Protests Have Reawakened Solidarity
The Covid-19 pandemic has been an isolating experience, but protests against the Police Crackdown Bill have shown the power of collective action – and the solidarity we need to build a better society.
When the Right Tried to Cancel the Turtles
In the 1980s and ’90s, successive moral panics about hooliganism and violence on TV culminated in a right-wing campaign against a dangerous social phenomenon: the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
The Extraordinary Life of Zygmunt Bauman
Sociologist Zygmunt Bauman is known for his academic work, but he also played an active role in some of the major events of 20th century Europe – and retained a deep commitment to his socialist politics.
Remembering Eric Gordon
Eric Gordon, who passed away this week aged 89, founded the Camden New Journal in the fire of 1970s industrial struggle – and in the decades that followed neither the paper nor its editor lost their radical edge.
The Radical Paul Robeson
Paul Robeson was born on this day in 1898. A pioneering black singer and actor, he was also a lifelong radical – and committed his life to the struggle against oppression and exploitation across the globe.
Biden’s $100 Billion Plan Shows Labour Was Right About Public Broadband
After the 2019 election, Labour’s bold plans for public investment in high-speed broadband were mocked by the commentariat – but now Joe Biden is embracing the idea, and polls show it is growing in popularity.
Big Finance Is Bleeding the Global South During Covid-19
Big financial institutions like BlackRock and HSBC are making up to 250% profit on the Global South’s debts during the pandemic – undermining Covid response in some of the world’s poorest countries.
How Liberals Rewrite Their Own History
Ian Dunt’s new book ‘How to Be a Liberal’ is part of a broader intellectual exercise to drape liberal history in comforting myths – ones which conceal its role in abetting imperialism, slavery and fascism.
Demodernising Jerusalem
A new book, ‘A City in Fragments’, tells the story of how the British Empire sought to dismantle a multicultural and increasingly modern Jerusalem in order to create a ‘holy city’ entombed in a mythical past.
31. Race, Empire, and Capitalism: An Interview with Adom Getachew
In this week’s episode, Grace speaks to Adom Getachaw, Assistant Professor of Political Science at the University of Chicago, about racial capitalism and how the aftershocks of imperialism continue to affect our world.
How Protestors Get the Blame for Police Violence
In 2008, police blamed climate activists for a series of violent attacks on protest camps. The only problem was, it wasn’t true – and the way their story fell apart tells us a lot about how similar scandals unfold today.
How Barbara Castle Fought to Expose the British Empire’s Shame in Kenya
During the 1950s, Britain’s brutal suppression of the Mau Mau Uprising in Kenya led to thousands of deaths – but Barbara Castle’s campaign to expose its crimes showed that the Empire’s violence did not have to go unchallenged.
How Barbara Castle Fought to Expose the British Empire’s Shame in Kenya
During the 1950s, Britain’s brutal suppression of the Mau Mau Uprising in Kenya led to thousands of deaths – but Barbara Castle’s campaign to expose its crimes showed that the Empire’s violence did not have to go unchallenged.
The Fight for the Night
In the 1970s, police hunting the Yorkshire Ripper told women to stay home at night to avoid attack. The response was the Reclaim the Night movement – and its lessons remain relevant almost half a century later.
After the Pandemic, It’s Time to End the Marketisation of the Public Sector
Covid-19 has seen plenty of empty rhetoric about ‘key workers,’ but unless the public sector is judged by its contribution to care and community little will change – and that means an end to the market ethos.
Bridgwater: Somerset’s Red Exception
Bridgwater is a red island in a sea of blue; a rare exception to the Tory politics which dominate Somerset – and its pioneering 1940s Arts Centre offers an insight into the role of socialism in its past and present.
The Long Legacy of Algeria’s War
In the mid 20th century, Algeria’s bid for independence from France sent reverberations around the emergent Third World – but today, its role in the formation of the post-colonial system is often forgotten.
The Right to Protest Wasn’t Given – It Was Won
This weekend’s protests against the Police Crackdown Bill were in defence of democratic rights which were hard won – and which will be eroded unless we are prepared to fight for them.
The Enduring Legacy of Kwame Nkrumah
Ghana’s Kwame Nkrumah sought to build an Africa free from capitalism and imperialism. Although defeated, his legacy remains a source of inspiration for a new generation of leftists.