The University of Manchester

Department Member, History

Thesis Title: Karl Marx, 'Capital' and radical book cultures in Britain, 1881-1945

About

My research interests lie broadly in the field of modern British cultural history from 1800 to the mid twentieth century, with a particular interest in the history of reading, writing and publishing. My PhD, awarded in 2011, utilised the methods of book history and material culture studies to produce a cultural history of the publication, distribution and consumption of the work of Karl Marx (particularly 'Capital') in Britain between 1881-1945. I am currently turning this work into a monograph.

My first article, published by History Workshop Journal (Spring 2010), was an examination of the interwar reading and writing practices of Frank Forster, a Communist autodidact. I intend to expand upon this work to examine how British Marxists mixed Marxist theory with various forms of other literature (particularly psychological literature) and life experience to form their own eclectic philosophies between 1900 and 1956.

I am generally fascinated by how reading and writing can be considered forms of self-fashioning and self-determination. In connection with this, I have recently written a book chapter on the reading experiences of British conscientious objectors in prison during the First World War.

I have also published short pieces on Victorian periodicals and maintain an interest in popular journalism in this period.

I currently teach modern British and European political, social, cultural and intellectual history at the University of Manchester. I also have designed and run methods workshops for MA and PhD students on using newspapers, material culture and book history in research projects.

As of 2012, I am on the committee of History Lab Plus (run by Institute of Historical Research) as Events Co-ordinator (North): http://www.history.ac.uk/historylab/plus

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