Ian Birchall
Review: Anti-Nazi Germans
As Boris Johnson and others attempt to invoke the ‘spirit of the Blitz’ in response to COVID-19, Ian Birchall celebrates a recent publication that disrupts the national myths of WWII.
The total Marx and the total theory of literature
A lost gem of Marxist aesthetic theory, out of print for over forty years.
There’s nothing so weird as a revolution
Ian Birchall reviews China Miéville's October, a new history of the Russian Revolution.
It seems an odd pairing: the Russian Revolution and China Miéville, whose...
Peter Sedgwick and the British Left
Peter Sedgwick (1934-83) was a lifelong socialist activist and writer. Apart from his work to bring Victor Serge to the English speaking world, and his critical writings...
The story of a Bolshevik worker-intellectual: a review of Barbara Allen’s...
Ian Birchall reviews Barbara C Allen's Alexander Shlyapnikov 1885-1937: Life of an Old Bolshevik, published by Haymarket Books.
"Young Alexander conquered India. He alone?"...
The Somme: Remember…and explain
Ian Birchall reviews Neil Faulkner's new pamphlet, Have You Forgotten Yet? The Truth about the Somme
I happened to be on Waterloo Station on 1st July. When...
Bel Druce 1940-2015
We republish Ian Birchall's obituary for his very close friend, and rs21 member Bel Druce, who died at the end of August. It was...
Alfred Rosmer: A lifelong revolutionary
In the first of a series exploring the lives of some of history's understated revolutionaries, Ian Birchall introduces French syndicalist and communist Alfred Rosmer
The...
Latest articles
Resist the crackdown on demonstrations
The lockdown has ended but the crackdown on protests goes on and on. We need to share skills and solidarity to resist police repression.
‘The fight of our lives’ | Interview with Marian Mayer
Marian Mayer, candidate for Vice President of UCU, spoke to rs21 about the fightback in the higher and further education sectors
Review: The Covid-19 Catastrophe
Stacey Williams reviews The Covid-19 Catastrophe, by leading UK medical writer Richard Horton
Interview: Organised and disorganised labour in the Belarus uprising
Siarhei Biareishyk speaks to rs21 about the uprising in Belarus following the falsified re-election of Aliaksandr Lukashenka on 9 August 2020.
Fascism beyond Trump
Historical comparisons can lead to unhelpful conclusions if not used carefully
Interview: Beirut blast exposed a global system
Rima Majed spoke to rs21 about the blast that devastated Beirut in the context of an existing political and economic crisis.
Reopening schools is bad science
Mike Downham explains the poor science behind the government plans for schools reopening.
Interview: Neighbourhood organising in Edinburgh
Activists in Edinburgh share their experiences of fighting to save lives, save jobs, and save the planet within a local community hit by Covid-19.
Review: Radical Happiness
Lynne Segal’s most recent work, Radical Happiness, addresses the relationship between political action and personal fulfilment.
Tik Tok: is time running out for Tory style education?
Ava, a sixth form student, describes how she helped to instigate the protests last weekend which led to the government U-turn.
Highlights
Interview: Organised and disorganised labour in the Belarus uprising
Siarhei Biareishyk speaks to rs21 about the uprising in Belarus following the falsified re-election of Aliaksandr Lukashenka on 9 August 2020.
Interview: Beirut blast exposed a global system
Rima Majed spoke to rs21 about the blast that devastated Beirut in the context of an existing political and economic crisis.
Review: Fortunes of Feminism
Leslie Cunningham reviews Fortunes of Feminism by Nancy Fraser, a critical account of changes in feminist thought in the era of neo-liberalism.
Post-war to post-industrial Scotland
Successive British governments have restructured the Scottish economy in damaging ways. Now we need a radical plan for a de-carbonised and independent Scotland.
Johnson’s bonanza for private capital
The Tories are increasing spending, but the money is going to the rich. Adam Blanden argues that this represents the acceleration of Britain’s transformation into a ‘speculator state’.