Poetry for the Many: An Anthology

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How many members of the public think a woman can’t have a penis, for example? About 99 percent. And how many, like the leftists who took over Labour during Corbyn’s tenure, think they can? About 1 per cent. On every given issue under the sun, from trans rights, to mass immigration, to the armed forces, to BLM, the likes of Len and Jeremy actually represented the opinions of the metropolitan Few, not the normal Many. Rather than ending with the Auden quote chosen by The Guardian in its reporting of this to do, the whole affair made me think of Marianne Moore’s ‘Poetry’, cutting to the heart of reactions against Corbyn’s tweet and the sometimes reluctant defences of it, such as The Guardian‘s. In a version of the poem cut down to three lines, Moore writes a staccato dismissal (it… it… it… it…) of the titular ‘poetry’ which nevertheless, almost against her will and the wills of her readers, leads to something authentic:

The ‘Politics and Poetry’ event at the CASA was the springboard for assembling this book. In the audience that evening I spoke to a New York resident (originally from Merseyside), the publisher Colin Robinson, and out of our discussion came the idea of capturing the mood of the night and blending it with political activism and poetry in a book. Both are staunch defenders of democracy, having served in elected positions over the last 50 years. They are both well-known public servants, in the real sense of the term. They are unashamedly proud trade unionists, who share a common history of fighting injustice in the workplace and their communities.The anthology ‘Poetry for the Many’ is a unique blend of literature and ideology. It reflects the shared vision of Corbyn and McCluskey, encapsulating their belief in socialism and commitment to social justice. The anthology is expected to appeal to a broad spectrum of readers, from political enthusiasts to literary aficionados. Corbyn’s Interview with Piers Morgan

Trade Unions Are Starting to Turn the Tide” — POETRY FOR THE MANY author Jeremy Corbyn interviewed in Jacobin (9/27/2023) There is a poet in all of us and nobody should ever be afraid of sharing their poetry,” Corbyn added.

‘Poetry For the Many’: A Blend of Literature and Ideology

Jeremy Corbyn and Len McCluskey collaborated to help achieve the biggest electoral success for socialism in recent British history. The two men share a passionate belief in a fairer, more equal Britain, encapsulated in Labour's election slogan "For the many, not the few." Children in ALL schools should have their creativity encouraged” — POETRY FOR THE MANY author Jeremy Corbyn featured in The Edinburgh Reporter (8/28/2023)

Poetry for the Many will encourage readers to “embrace poetry and shake off any notion that it is not something to be read, written, or appreciated by working-class people”, Murphy said. Here’s McCluskey on Kipling’s If: “The poem’s different verses have a specific meaning to many people, hence its popularity.” The specific meaning they appear to hold for Len is as a prophecy of supposed mainstream media lies about Corbyn immediately prior to the 2019 election: “If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken/Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools/[… you’ll be a Man, my son!]” (p.16) They are better known and understood on the political Left and among working-class communities, where their values and beliefs are represented more fairly. Both are revered and loved across those communities.I thought committed re-educators of youth and public taste like Len and Jeremy wanted poetry to be for the Many, not the Few? Whilst there are reports of the educational benefits of reading poetry with 80% of teachers believing that poetry is a significant part of a literacy curriculum, still only 39% of teachers have had development training on poetry. Rutger Bruining, CEO and founder of the UK’s leading biography-writing service, StoryTerrace, discusses how poetry should be accessible for people from all walks of life. This has nothing to do with social class – as I said, I am about as working class as Corbyn, which is to say, not at all.