About this Event
In celebration of all writing and new writers in particular, Louder Than Words Festival is delighted to present this pertinent session in collaboration with Repeater Books.
Debates about English national identity and related narratives of race and class have taken on a new urgency in recent years, against a backdrop of Brexit, ‘culture war’ controversies and a global resurgence of social conservatism. Is it possible that a progressive politics might emerge in this context, or is Englishness – and the ghost of white masculinity which often lies behind it – a completely lost cause?
A Small Man’s England is a powerful polemic aimed at the structures that ceaselessly maintain power across Britain and elsewhere, and a call for multicultural solidarity amongst the working class. Weaving together insightful polemic, lucid prose and moving poetry, upcoming writer Tommy Sissons explores contemporary working-class life and experience, analysing the role of class, race, masculinity and nationality in neoliberal Britain.
A Small Man’s England offers a solution to the indoctrination of working-class men by the right and the far-right, and explores how we can collectively shape a “Common England” — a country based on equality and justice for all.
Hosted by our great friend Ralph Dartford, a topical and insightful discussion is guaranteed for sure...
Event and Discounted Book combo tickets available (UK carriage included) as well as Event only options - attend in person in Manchester or join our livestream wherever you are around the globe!
There will be a dedicated Book-Signing event immediately afterwards. For Attend In Person tickets, books will be available for collection at the event.
Tommy Sissons is a poet, writer and educator based in London. He is the literary editor of GRASS magazine, a publication specialising in the promotion of working class creatives. Sissons has toured his spoken word poetry across Europe and delivered talks on widening participation in education and the arts at a number of academic and cultural institutions, including the V&A Museum and Sheffield Hallam University.
Ralph Dartford hails from Basildon in Essex, and now lives in West Yorkshire, having got there via Australia, Barcelona and Los Angeles. He was the founding member of influential spoken word collective ‘A Firm of Poets’, and his first collection of poetry, Cigarettes, Beer and Love was published by Ossett Observer Presents in 2013. His next collection, Recovery Songs, was published by Valley Press in 2019, and Hidden Music is forthcoming in October 2021.
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
INNSIDE Manchester, 1 First Street, Manchester, United Kingdom
GBP 5.00 to GBP 17.50