Knees up Mao Zedong
In the 1970s, composer Cornelius Cardew went from avant-garde experiments to songs that aimed to speak directly to workers in struggle. He failed miserably then, but perhaps he’s worth listening to again?
4348 Articles by:
Jenna Norman
Jenna Norman is a London-based writer and campaigner.
The Science of Social History
In a career lasting much of the twentieth century, the Soviet psychologist Alexander Luria tried to develop a ‘romantic science’ for the ‘new people’ emerging from revolutionary change.
Back to the Future
Birth of a New Day, 2814’s newly reissued vaporwave classic, takes place in a dreamed-up Japan where the bubble economy never burst and the good times never ended — it’s made by people who know full well they did.
Judgement Day Revisited
Endlessly rebooted and pointlessly extended, the original Terminator film is a parable about radicalisation and commitment in the face of a terrifying — but mutable — future.
A Freedom Only to Switch Channels
The rediscovery of the working-class experimental novelist Ann Quin has been long overdue. Her jagged writing on sexuality and consumerism comes out in a new edition of her last novel, Tripticks.
A Bullet Through the Allee Le Corbusier
A fascinating new guide to the Brutalist buildings of outer Paris can’t escape from the divide between architectural exploration and ordinary life.
Regulate!
Lynsey Hanley talks to Ellie Harrison about her Bus Regulation: The Musical, a travelling spectacular on how integrated public transport was destroyed in Britain and how it can be rebuilt.
A Letter from São Vicente
The attempted coup in Brazil that followed Lula’s victory was the culmination of the surreal world of Bolsonarismo, in which the country’s history was warped into unrecognisability.
The Nakba at 75: Remembering, Forgetting, and Erasing
The 75th anniversary of the Nakba marks the expulsion of over 750,000 Palestinians from their homeland in 1948. Decades later, the fight against dispossession continues.
For Palestine, it’s BDS or Bust
We sit down with Omar Barghouti – co-founder of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement – to discuss why justice for Palestinians can only be won through isolating Israel on the world stage.
The Troops’ Parliament
Nearing the end of WWII, armed forces stationed in Egypt established their own parliament to demand a socialist transformation of Britain’s economy. On VE Day, we republish an article from a ‘Minister’ of the Cairo Forces Parliament.
Italian Fascism Never Went Away
In ‘Mussolini’s Grandchildren: Fascism in Contemporary Italy,’ David Broder provides an incisive account of how the Italian far-right reconstructed itself following its defeat in World War II and paved the way for Il Duce’s political heirs to take power.
Labour Is Gambling on Voter Apathy
The Tories’ hammering in the local elections is more to do with voter disdain for the government than any enthusiasm for Labour. Starmer must produce a vision to inspire the country if he wants to be the next prime minister.
The Last Coronation
If you want to understand the baffling popularity of the Royal Family, one place to start is the multimedia imperial modernist spectacle of the 1953 coronation.
Sylvia Pankhurst’s Socialism
Radical suffragette Sylvia Pankhurst was born on this day in 1882. To mark the occasion, we republish her essay on the meaning of socialism.
The Man Who Made a Million Socialists
Robert Tressell, author of ‘The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists,’ was born 153 years ago. His writing left an indelible mark on the socialist movement – but the man himself was almost forgotten by history.
Why Marx Still Matters
Karl Marx was born on this day in 1818. His work remains as relevant as ever.
Hot Off the Griddle
In a new exhibition at the Barbican, the communist artist Alice Neel’s humane portraits capture the fighters, victims and figures of America’s twentieth-century turmoil.
The Nakba Never Ended
Israel’s relentless expansion of settlement and ethnic cleansing exposes the reality for Palestinians — the Nakba never really ended.
Rosa Luxemburg on the Meaning of May Day
“As long as the struggle of the workers against the ruling class continues, May Day will be the yearly expression of our demands.” Rosa Luxemburg on the meaning of International Workers’ Day.