A collection of political talesāfirst published in British workersā magazinesāselected 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 genresāthe fairy tale, fable, allegory, parable, and moral taleāand 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 agesāand some challenged the conventional values promoted in childrenās literature for the middle class. In Workersā 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 āTom Hickathrift,ā a little, poor person gets the better of a gigantic, wealthy one. In āThe Man Without a Heart,ā a man learns about the value of basic labor after testing out more privileged lives. And in āThe Political Economist and the Flowers,ā two contrasting gardeners highlight the cold heart of Darwinian competition. Rosenās informative introduction describes how such tales advocated for contemporary progressive causes and countered the dominant celebration of Britainās 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, Workersā Tales presents voices of resistance that are more relevant than ever before.