British Socialist Fiction, 1884û1914

by Mutch,Deborah

• ISBN13: 9781848933576
• ISBN10: 1848933576
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2013-10-01
• Publisher: Routledge

Summary

Socialism in late Victorian and Edwardian Britain was a highly literate movement. Every socialist group produced some form of written text - a periodical, pamphlet or books - through which their particular brand of socialism could be promoted. Though the political history of this period has been the subject of much scholarly attention, the fiction produced and inspired by the same movement has been neglected.This critical edition collects serialized fiction and short stories that have not been published since their original appearance. Texts are presented chronologically to show the development of ideas and to allow comparison with other literature of the period. Editorial apparatus is extensive and includes a general introduction, volume introductions, headnotes, endnotes, textual variants and a consolidated index.Volume 1 looks at the early years of the socialist revival, with stories from the Social Democratic Federation's Justice, and the development of the New Unions after the London dock strike of 1889. Volume 2 covers the period when the socialist movement became involved in parliamentary politics, with Keir Hardie becoming the first Labour MP in 1892. Volume 3 explores the fiction from the years when the Labour Party established itself as a coherent political party, whilst Volume 4 covers the Party's parliamentary success and the concurrent divisions amongst other socialist groups. Finally, Volume 5 looks at the years leading up to the First World War, when industrial unrest led to the recognition of trade unions. The fiction from this era shows the continuing divisions amongst various socialist groups as well as the more obvious left-right divide over the war.