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Revision as of 09:34, 26 October 2017
, 09:34, 26 October 2017no edit summary
The British working class is diverse. That's the most important thing to take away from reading ''Know Your Place''. And by diverse, I don't just mean ethnically diverse, although it is that, I also mean politically diverse, culturally diverse - in every way diverse. To read our tabloid newspapers, you'd think the only valid conceptualisation of the working class is male, white and racist. Brexit is their fault, dontchaknow, even though the campaign for it was largely led by the poshest people imaginable. ''Know Your Place'' brings us that rich diversity, of people and opinion and cultural and political musing.
Some highlights: Yvonne Singh's ''More Than Just a Dreamworld'' - a beautiful, lyrical memory of day trips to the seaside. Yvonne and her family went to Southend while me I and my family went to Littlehampton, but this piece resonated so strongly with my own memories of those childhood day trips. I actually had a little, nostalgic weep while reading it. Kit de Waal's ''An Open Invitation'' talks about coming to writing at a late age and about access enabling working class storytellers to bring authentic voices to working class readers. The success of Kit's brilliant debut nove [[My Name is Leon by Kit de Waal|My Name is Leon]] enabled her to set up a scholarship to improve working class representation in the arts. Nathan Connolly's ''You're Not Working Class'' deals with the difference between economic position and cultural identity. If you're born working class and become successful, especially in a professional career, are you still working class? Nathan says yes, and so, resoundingly, do I.
There's much more but you should read it rather than let me tell you about it. I loved ''Know Your Place''. We desperately needed an anthology like this and now we have one. Thanks to all the writers who contributed, to Nathan Connolly for pursuing the concept, and to all my fellow crowdfunding contributors who helped make it happen.
