John S Partington
I am a researcher of the socialist and labour movements, both British and international, with special interests in socialist biography and the organised socialist women's movement.
After earning a first class degree with honours in history from the University of Central Lancashire (1995), I was awarded a British Academy studentship to complete a Master's in English literature at the University of Leeds (1997). I then won a university scholarship at the University of Reading to undertake my doctorate, writing a thesis on the political thought of H. G. Wells (2001).
I have published widely on the political thought and the philosophy of science of H. G. Wells, focusing on his world government theory and his application of Darwinian evolutionary thinking to politics, education and international relations.
I have researched the political vision of Woody Guthrie, as expressed through his pioneering folk music, as well as local socialist activists in Reading, UK, notably Phoebe Cusden and Lorenzo Quelch, and written a comparative study of the socialisms of George Orwell and H. G. Wells.
My current research focusses on the influence and reception of the women's international socialist leader, Clara Zetkin, in Britain from the 1880s to the 1930s.
Within these research areas I like to focus on questions of women's struggle within male dominated political realms, and I also utilise literary texts and musical lyrics as historical sources. More recently I have also explored the wealth of untapped material in both the popular press and the specialist press to inform my research, considering such subjects as Welsh identity in football journalism, and ideological factors represented in the reportage of the interwar birth control movement.
After earning a first class degree with honours in history from the University of Central Lancashire (1995), I was awarded a British Academy studentship to complete a Master's in English literature at the University of Leeds (1997). I then won a university scholarship at the University of Reading to undertake my doctorate, writing a thesis on the political thought of H. G. Wells (2001).
I have published widely on the political thought and the philosophy of science of H. G. Wells, focusing on his world government theory and his application of Darwinian evolutionary thinking to politics, education and international relations.
I have researched the political vision of Woody Guthrie, as expressed through his pioneering folk music, as well as local socialist activists in Reading, UK, notably Phoebe Cusden and Lorenzo Quelch, and written a comparative study of the socialisms of George Orwell and H. G. Wells.
My current research focusses on the influence and reception of the women's international socialist leader, Clara Zetkin, in Britain from the 1880s to the 1930s.
Within these research areas I like to focus on questions of women's struggle within male dominated political realms, and I also utilise literary texts and musical lyrics as historical sources. More recently I have also explored the wealth of untapped material in both the popular press and the specialist press to inform my research, considering such subjects as Welsh identity in football journalism, and ideological factors represented in the reportage of the interwar birth control movement.
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Books by John S Partington
The centenary year did not simply celebrate the history of RDLP; it also demonstrated the party's contemporary power and organisation across the town: in the council chamber, through its Member of Parliament (Matt Rodda MP), in partnership with its affiliated trade unions and through grassroots organisation. Also apparent was the importance of the historical link between RDLP and the RTUC as political and industrial wings of the local labour movement.
Determined to capture the energy of the celebrations, campaigns and achievements created by a century of Reading Labour, the RTUC decided to distill the history into a commemorative book. The result is Reading Labour 100!
At 119 pages, Reading Labour 100 presents the historical ingredients which went into the formation of RDLP, from the co-operative movement to agricultural trade unionism, from socialist societies to industrial trade unionism - and not forgetting the anti-fascist fighters for freedom who went to Spain in 1937, some never to return. The volume also identifies key moments in RDLP's centenary year, such as supporting striking university lecturers, campaigning to retain universal free bus travel for disabled residents and protesting inflation-busting rail fare increases. Labour celebrations and political education are not ignored either - with May Day and Women's Day marches, guest speakers and social events presented within the book's pages. The volume is rounded off with an anecdotal Afterword by a stalwart of the RTUC and RDLP, Keith Jerrome.
Despite the preponderance of Conservative Governments over the century of its existence - and Reading's red oasis among England's southeast sea of Tory blue - RDLP stands strong and proud and ready for a further century of struggle and commitment to defending and extending the rights of its residents, workers and visitors!
The book costs £10 (UK) and £15 (international orders) and can be ordered via PayPal to John Partington at [email protected]. For alternative payment methods, email John to make arrangements. There will be a negotiated discount for bulk orders. All profits from the sale of the book will be divided between the RTUC and RDLP
H.G. Wells was described by one of his European critics as a 'seismograph of his age'. He is one of the founding fathers of modern science fiction, and as a novelist, essayist, educationalist and political propagandist his influence has been felt in every European country. This collection of essays by scholarly experts shows the varied and dramatic nature of Wells's reception, including translations, critical appraisals, novels and films on Wellsian themes, and responses to his own well-publicized visits to Russia and elsewhere. The authors chart the intense ideological debate that his writings occasioned, particularly in the inter-war years, and the censorship of his books in Nazi Germany and Francoist Spain. This book offers pioneering insights into Wells's contribution to 20th century European literature and to modern political ideas, including the idea of European union.
Table Of Contents
Acknowledgements
List of Contributors
Abbreviations
Patrick Parrinder and Paul Barnaby, 'Timeline: European Reception of H. G. Wells'
Patrick Parrinder, 'Introduction'
Joseph Altairac, 'H. G. Wells's Critical Reception in France'
Annie Escuret, 'Henry-D. Davray and the Mercure de France'
Maria Kozyreva and Vera Shamina, 'Russia Revisited'
Adelaida Lyubimova and Boris Proskurnin, 'H. G. Wells in Russian Literary Criticism, 1890s-1940s'
Roger Cockrell, 'Future Perfect: H. G. Wells and Bolshevik Russia, 1917-32'
Elmar Schenkel, 'White Elephants and Black Machines: H. G. Wells and German Culture, 1920-45'
Richard Nate, 'Ignorance, Opportunism, Propaganda and Dissent: The Reception of H. G. Wells in Nazi Germany'
Andrzej Juszczyk, 'H. G. Wells's Polish Reception'
Juliusz K. Palczewski, 'On Translations of H. G. Wells's Work into Polish'
Bohuslav Mánek, 'A Welcome Guest: the Czech Reception of H. G. Wells'
Gabriella Vöő, 'Critics and Defenders of H. G. Wells in Interwar Hungary'
Katalin Csala, 'The Puzzling Connection between H. G. Wells and Frigyes Karinthy'
Maria Teresa Chialant, 'H. G. Wells, Italian Futurism and Marinetti's Gli Indomabili'
Teresa Iribarren i Donadeu, 'An Approximation of H. G. Wells's Impact on Catalonia'
Alberto Lázaro, 'H. G. Wells and the Discourse of Censorship in Franco's Spain'
José Manuel Mota, 'News from Nowhere: Portuguese Dialogues with H. G. Wells'
Lucian M. Ashworth, 'Clashing Utopias: H. G. Wells and Catholic Ireland'
George Slusser and Danièle Chatelain, 'A Tale of Two Science Fictions: H. G. Wells in France and the Soviet Union'
Nicoletta Vallorani, '"The Invisible Wells" in European Cinema and Television'
John S. Partington, 'H. G. Wells and the International Paneuropean Union'
Bibliography
Index
Papers by John S Partington
The centenary year did not simply celebrate the history of RDLP; it also demonstrated the party's contemporary power and organisation across the town: in the council chamber, through its Member of Parliament (Matt Rodda MP), in partnership with its affiliated trade unions and through grassroots organisation. Also apparent was the importance of the historical link between RDLP and the RTUC as political and industrial wings of the local labour movement.
Determined to capture the energy of the celebrations, campaigns and achievements created by a century of Reading Labour, the RTUC decided to distill the history into a commemorative book. The result is Reading Labour 100!
At 119 pages, Reading Labour 100 presents the historical ingredients which went into the formation of RDLP, from the co-operative movement to agricultural trade unionism, from socialist societies to industrial trade unionism - and not forgetting the anti-fascist fighters for freedom who went to Spain in 1937, some never to return. The volume also identifies key moments in RDLP's centenary year, such as supporting striking university lecturers, campaigning to retain universal free bus travel for disabled residents and protesting inflation-busting rail fare increases. Labour celebrations and political education are not ignored either - with May Day and Women's Day marches, guest speakers and social events presented within the book's pages. The volume is rounded off with an anecdotal Afterword by a stalwart of the RTUC and RDLP, Keith Jerrome.
Despite the preponderance of Conservative Governments over the century of its existence - and Reading's red oasis among England's southeast sea of Tory blue - RDLP stands strong and proud and ready for a further century of struggle and commitment to defending and extending the rights of its residents, workers and visitors!
The book costs £10 (UK) and £15 (international orders) and can be ordered via PayPal to John Partington at [email protected]. For alternative payment methods, email John to make arrangements. There will be a negotiated discount for bulk orders. All profits from the sale of the book will be divided between the RTUC and RDLP
H.G. Wells was described by one of his European critics as a 'seismograph of his age'. He is one of the founding fathers of modern science fiction, and as a novelist, essayist, educationalist and political propagandist his influence has been felt in every European country. This collection of essays by scholarly experts shows the varied and dramatic nature of Wells's reception, including translations, critical appraisals, novels and films on Wellsian themes, and responses to his own well-publicized visits to Russia and elsewhere. The authors chart the intense ideological debate that his writings occasioned, particularly in the inter-war years, and the censorship of his books in Nazi Germany and Francoist Spain. This book offers pioneering insights into Wells's contribution to 20th century European literature and to modern political ideas, including the idea of European union.
Table Of Contents
Acknowledgements
List of Contributors
Abbreviations
Patrick Parrinder and Paul Barnaby, 'Timeline: European Reception of H. G. Wells'
Patrick Parrinder, 'Introduction'
Joseph Altairac, 'H. G. Wells's Critical Reception in France'
Annie Escuret, 'Henry-D. Davray and the Mercure de France'
Maria Kozyreva and Vera Shamina, 'Russia Revisited'
Adelaida Lyubimova and Boris Proskurnin, 'H. G. Wells in Russian Literary Criticism, 1890s-1940s'
Roger Cockrell, 'Future Perfect: H. G. Wells and Bolshevik Russia, 1917-32'
Elmar Schenkel, 'White Elephants and Black Machines: H. G. Wells and German Culture, 1920-45'
Richard Nate, 'Ignorance, Opportunism, Propaganda and Dissent: The Reception of H. G. Wells in Nazi Germany'
Andrzej Juszczyk, 'H. G. Wells's Polish Reception'
Juliusz K. Palczewski, 'On Translations of H. G. Wells's Work into Polish'
Bohuslav Mánek, 'A Welcome Guest: the Czech Reception of H. G. Wells'
Gabriella Vöő, 'Critics and Defenders of H. G. Wells in Interwar Hungary'
Katalin Csala, 'The Puzzling Connection between H. G. Wells and Frigyes Karinthy'
Maria Teresa Chialant, 'H. G. Wells, Italian Futurism and Marinetti's Gli Indomabili'
Teresa Iribarren i Donadeu, 'An Approximation of H. G. Wells's Impact on Catalonia'
Alberto Lázaro, 'H. G. Wells and the Discourse of Censorship in Franco's Spain'
José Manuel Mota, 'News from Nowhere: Portuguese Dialogues with H. G. Wells'
Lucian M. Ashworth, 'Clashing Utopias: H. G. Wells and Catholic Ireland'
George Slusser and Danièle Chatelain, 'A Tale of Two Science Fictions: H. G. Wells in France and the Soviet Union'
Nicoletta Vallorani, '"The Invisible Wells" in European Cinema and Television'
John S. Partington, 'H. G. Wells and the International Paneuropean Union'
Bibliography
Index
In Britain, although Zetkin wrote for and was reported in a great number of socialist and labour journals throughout her life, the Social Democratic Federation’s journal, Justice, was her first major vehicle, providing a crucial link between socialist women in Britain and those in Germany and throughout Europe. In this paper I will explore Zetkin’s relationship to Justice, revealing that magazine’s importance for Zetkin’s prestige in Britain but also its role as a spotlight on European events as promoted by Zetkin in her writings and activities.
Zetkin first came to Montefiore’s attention through her publications in the SDP’s journal, Justice (from 1899), and her initial meeting with Zetkin at the 1907 SWI conference in Stuttgart led to an ideological bond which lasted into the 1920s when both women joined their countries‘ respective Communist Parties. Indeed, Zetkin and Montefiore’s personal bond was so strikingly immediate that in 1909 the latter arranged an official visit to London by Zetkin, hosting Zetkin in her own home and arranging a series of events at which Zetkin was guest of honour. In 1910, when the second SWI conference occurred in Copenhagen, Montefiore was again welcomed by Zetkin, and again spoke on behalf of the British socialist women. Two years later, at the Extraordinary International Socialist Peace Congress in Basel, Montefiore attended as official reporter for the British Daily Herald, marching in the procession between Zetkin and Rosa Luxemburg, and writing of Zetkin’s leadership of the women’s contingent in her articles.
The favourtism shown to Montefiore at the 1907 and 1910 SWI conferences led to disputes (both personal and ideological) within the British socialist women’s movement (including an en masse conference walk-out by ILP delegates in 1910) and resulted in the SWI adopting policy with ‘official‘ British endorsement which did not represent the strength of feeling of British socialist women and, indeed, was disregarded by them when campaigning back home. (Such policies included calls for full universal suffrage – as against gradual democratisation in the suffrage – and the refusal of socialist women to collaboarate with ‘bourgeois feminists‘ in joint campaigns.) Indeed, although Montefiore retained Zetkin’s patronage during this period, she was marginalised from 1910 within the British socialist women’s movement precisely because she was seen as misrepresenting the British movement on the international stage!
This paper will discuss the relationship between Zetkin and Montefiore in the context of the latter’s position in the British socialist women’s movement. It will consider the British resistence to Zetkin’s patronage of Montefiore (and the policies which resulted from it at the SWI conferences) and discuss the coup which saw international socialist influence wrestled from Montefiore by socialist women in the ILP and WLL (two organisations with common ideological foundations). Ultimately, Montefiore became a noted socialist woman on the international stage whilst simultaneously losing her political voice in the British domestic movement – an ironic turn of events created largely by the distorting factor of Montefiore’s personal relationship with the SWI’s leader, Clara Zetkin.
I will use contemporary accounts of Cardiff City’s matches, round by round, in the British print media, to assess how the unique phenomenon of a non-English team winning the ‘English Cup’ was received. I will investigate how prominent the exceptionality of this event was in media reports. I will focus on the representation of ‘Welshness’ or Welsh national identity in these reports to determine how far Cardiff City’s win represented a victory for ‘the other’, or how far the team was appropriated by the English for victory in a sport which many English consider their country ‘invented’. I will assess how far (if at all) national distinction intensified as Cardiff City got closer to the prize – victory over Arsenal. I will consider whether a ‘Welsh national image’ was constructed by the media and what role stereotypes played.
Ultimately, I am keen to determine whether football was significant as a vehicle through which the English print media constructed a Welsh national identity or whether the sport, famous for arousing rivalries, inspired journalists to focus on other areas of identity competitiveness.