Fownhope’s Heart of Oak Society traces its roots to the age of friendly societies, when communities provided their own safety net. Its anniversary celebrations reveal a tradition still very much alive, says MARK SEDDON
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On writing as a leftist
From intellectual heavyweights of the academy to organisers like me who have come to the role via a life on the shop floor, writing by leftists must centre communication — and if capable of it, even fun, writes ROGER McKENZIE
RED WRITINGS: Lenin at Work, Igor Reznik, 1970
ANGUS REID explains the significance of Cuba’s egalitarian in letter and spirit Family Code and the pertinent lessons it holds for democracies anywhere in the world
Special report by PEOPLE’S WORLD
NICK WRIGHT considers how the isolation of Israel and a new film on the controversial Italian communist leader are creating new reference points for Italy’s left
CARLOS MARTINEZ says Cuba’s achievements in the face of a criminal blockade are startling, but the island’s future if the United States succeeds in crushing it looks bleak
AMNON BROWNFIELD STEIN reports that far-right MPs who mobbed the event organised by Hadash may have helped raise awareness of the brutality of the Israeli right
RECENTLY I have found myself wondering why socialists or communists write as journalists, authors or poets — or any other kinds of writing I’ve missed off the list.
Sometimes I think it has more to do with demonstrating a superior grasp of Marxist-Leninist theory than anyone else. Good for you if it floats your boat to fill page after page with a demonstration of your superior intellect — particularly in non-theoretical publications.
Just let me know in advance so I can put some John Coltrane on to get me through. Coltrane’s Love Supreme possibly accurately describes a love that many of these writers or critics appear to have for themselves.
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MATTHEW HAWKINS relishes the literary output of autistic writers, and recommends its insight to readers both including and beyond the community themselves
We are experiencing a wave of organised, often deadly violence targeting migrants from other parts of Africa — but the poorest South Africans reject this hatred, staying true to the spirit of Ubuntu and Pan-African unity, reports NIGEL BRANKEN
