Podcast taking a look at working class and radical literature, fiction and culture. Sister pod to Working Class History.
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As part of our work to mark the centenary of the UK's 1926 general strike, we sat down with with Charles Ferrall and Dougal McNeill, authors of the excellent Writing the 1926 General Strike: Literature, Culture, Politics (https://bookshop.org/a/80203/9781107100039) to talk about some of the literature texts produced in response to the strike, both from established authors and emerging working-class writers.
Our podcast is brought to you by patreon supporters of both Working Class Literature and Working Class History. Our supporters fund our work, and in return get exclusive early access to podcast episodes, bonus episodes, free and discounted merchandise and other content. Join us or find out more at patreon.com/workingclasshistory (https://patreon.com/workingclasshistory)
In our discussion, Charles Ferrall and Dougal McNeill explain why they wrote their book and what they mean when they say the strike was “a literary event.” We also discuss the works of a number of different working-class authors responding to the strike, not to mention those of more famous authors that were also affected by the strike, in particular Lady Chatterley’s Lover (1928) by DH Lawrence and To the Lighthouse (1927) by Virginia Woolf. Further reading and a transcript available on the webpage for this episode: https://workingclasshistory.com/podcast/wcl15-literature-of-the-1926-general-strike/
Acknowledgements
Thanks to our Patreon supporters for making this podcast possible. Special thanks to Jazz Hands and Fellow Worker.
Our theme tune for this episode is Montaigne’s version of ‘When the Coal Comes from the Rhonda’, a folk song originating from Welsh miners in the early twentieth century and sung during the general strike. Download the song here (https://www.patreon.com/posts/155147355). More from Montaigne: website (https://montaignemusic.com.au/), Instagram (https://instagram.com/actualmontaigne), YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCH1Yyx96VGFQVStKxQXRwEg).
Edited by Jesse French
20 Aug 2025
E14: Live from the Working Class Literature Festival
Following our double-episode on the Florence Working-Class Literature Festival (https://workingclasshistory.com/podcast/wcl10-11-florence-working-class-literature-festival/) back in February, our co-host Matt was invited to this year’s festival, recording this episode on-site at the ex-GKN factory in Florence. Featuring the various writers, researchers, organisers, and activists in attendance, this episode captures the atmosphere of the festival at this critical time for the GKN struggle.
Our podcast is brought to you by patreon supporters of both Working Class Literature and Working Class History. Our supporters fund our work, and in return get exclusive early access to podcast episodes, bonus episodes, free and discounted merchandise and other content. Join us or find out more at patreon.com/workingclasshistory (https://patreon.com/workingclasshistory)
Taking place on 4-6 April 2025, the opending day of the festival marked the 1367th day since the 400+ workforce at the GKN car parts factory in Florence was first made redundant. They subsequently seized the factory and remain in control of it to this day, despite receiving their third – and now final – redundancy notice in the days leading up to this year’s festival.Recorded on-site at the occupied GKN factory on the outskirts of Florence, this episode features the voices of various writers, researchers, organisers, and activists that we spoke to while at the festival. These conversations took place against a frenzy of activity, both for the festival but also the GKN struggle itself.
Acknowledgements
Thanks to all our patreon supporters for making this podcast possible. Special thanks to Jazz Hands, Fernando Lopez Ojeda, Nick Williams and Old Norm
Our theme tune for these episodes is ‘Occupiamola’ (or ‘Let’s Occupy It’) as sung on a GKN workers’ demonstration in 2024. Many thanks to Reel News London for letting us use their recording. Watch the documentary it’s taken from here (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYzgXHZ9_mQ)
This episode was edited by Jesse French
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/working-class-literature--5711491/support (https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/working-class-literature--5711491/support?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss).
18 Jun 2025
E13: Jack Hilton, Rochdale Caliban, part 2
Jack Chadwick discusses Jack Hilton's novel *Caliban Shrieks*, comparing it to other working-class novels, and details the rediscovery and republication of Hilton's work in this interview episode.
11 Jun 2025
E12: Jack Hilton, Rochdale Caliban, part 1
Jack Chadwick discusses the life and activism of working-class author Jack Hilton, including his childhood in Rochdale's slums and his complex relationship with George Orwell in this interview episode.
12 Mar 2025
E11: Florence Working-Class Literature Festival
Working-class authors Alberto Prunetti, Dario Salvetti, Claudia Durastanti, and Anthony Cartwright discuss the Florence Working-Class Literature Festival and its unique atmosphere, highlighting the participation of GKN workers in readings and performances in this interview.
5 Mar 2025
E10: Florence Working-Class Literature Festival
Alberto Prunetti, Dario Salvetti, and Tiziana De Biasio discuss the GKN factory takeover and the origins of the Working-Class Literature Festival in Florence, highlighting worker solidarity and cultural resistance in this interview episode.
24 Oct 2024
E9: Chinese migrant worker poetry, part 3
Professor Maghiel van Crevel discusses censorship and unofficial publications in China and their impact on the spread of migrant worker poetry, including the exclusion of some working-class writers like gay migrant worker poet Mu Cao in this interview.
17 Oct 2024
E8: Chinese migrant worker poetry, part 2
Professor Maghiel van Crevel discusses Chinese migrant worker poetry and the Migrant Worker Home, a self-organized space near Beijing, in this interview episode.
10 Oct 2024
E7: Chinese migrant worker poetry, part 1
Professor Maghiel van Crevel explains the concept of the 'migrant worker' in China, its relation to the hukou system, and the work of poets Wu Xia and Zheng Xiaoqiong in this interview.
13 Dec 2022
E6: DD Johnston's proletarian apocalypse, part 2
Author DD Johnston discusses his novel *Disnaeland*, exploring its connection to the Scots language and radical Christianity, while emphasizing mutual aid as a response to disaster in this interview.
6 Dec 2022
E5: DD Johnston's proletarian apocalypse, part 1
Author DD Johnston discusses his novel, Disnaeland, which explores a working-class Scottish community's reaction to societal collapse, and his involvement with McDonald's Workers' Resistance in this interview.
30 Mar 2022
E4 Michael Rosen's socialist fairy tales, part 2
Author Michael Rosen discusses socialist undertones within popular children's stories and reads a story from his anthology, revealing social contest elements in culture; this is an interview.
17 Mar 2022
E3 Michael Rosen's socialist fairy tales, part 1
Author Michael Rosen discusses his anthology, *Workers' Tales*, exploring socialist fairy tales, fables, and allegories from the British labor and socialist press between 1880 and 1920 in this interview.
10 Jun 2021
E2 Joseph Skipsey: poet and pitman
Researchers Dr. Gordon Tait and musician Chris Harrison discuss Joseph Skipsey's life as a poet and coal miner from North East England, who gained national recognition in the 19th century in this interview episode.
4 Sept 2019
E1 T-Bone Slim: the laureate of the logging camps
Dr. Owen Clayton and John Westmoreland discuss the life and work of T-Bone Slim, a radical hobo author, poet, and songwriter for the Industrial Workers of the World in this interview episode.
Who has been a guest on Working Class Literature
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Jack Chadwick
Alberto Prunetti
Dario Salvetti
Claudia Durastanti
Anthony Cartwright
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