A collection of political tales--first published in British workers'
magazines--selected and introduced by acclaimed critic and author
Michael Rosen
In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, unique tales
inspired by traditional literary forms appeared frequently in
socialist-leaning British periodicals, such as the Clarion, Labour
Leader, and Social Democrat. Based on familiar genres--the fairy
tale, fable, allegory, parable, and moral tale--and penned by a range of
lesser-known and celebrated authors, including Schalom Asch, Charles
Allen Clarke, Frederick James Gould, and William Morris, these stories
were meant to entertain readers of all ages--and some challenged the
conventional values promoted in children's literature for the middle
class. In Workers' Tales, acclaimed critic and author Michael Rosen
brings together more than forty of the best and most enduring examples
of these stories in one beautiful volume.
Throughout, the tales in this collection exemplify themes and ideas
related to work and the class system, sometimes in wish-fulfilling ways.
In "Tom Hickathrift," a little, poor person gets the better of a
gigantic, wealthy one. In "The Man Without a Heart," a man learns about
the value of basic labor after testing out more privileged lives. And in
"The Political Economist and the Flowers," two contrasting gardeners
highlight the cold heart of Darwinian competition. Rosen's informative
introduction describes how such tales advocated for contemporary
progressive causes and countered the dominant celebration of Britain's
imperial values. The book includes archival illustrations, biographical
notes about the writers, and details about the periodicals where the
tales first appeared.
Provocative and enlightening, Workers' Tales presents voices of
resistance that are more relevant than ever before.
