Watch…
Passion Fish(1992). A film by John Sayles (US equivalent of Ken Loach). The story of the relationship between a soap star, who is paralysed and returns home to rural Louisiana, and her care assistant. Not just the story of their relationship but of their men, their families and their search for happiness.

Read…

While there is Light  by Tariq Mehmood (2003). This is no “East is East”. Tariq is a political writer and activist. He grew up in Bradford and was a founder member of the Afro-Asian group; United Black Youth League. He was arrested alongside 11 other young people who were dubbed the Bradford 12. Charged with conspiracy Tariq conducted his own defence and was acquitted. The novel starts with the main character, Saleem, writing to his mother from his cell in a Leeds prison. “Mother I am now in jail, in this bitch of a country called England. I may never see you again.” Using Saleem’s story, the author takes us on a trip from urban Bradford to the villages of Pakistan and invites us to listen to the debates about what it means to be Muslim today.

Listen to …
Kaleidophonica by Spiro (Real World 2012) A Bristol based band producing music that takes in lots of genres, including folk and dance but are hard to pin down. The music is great on a Sunday morning,  eating your croissants!

Visit…
Working Class Movement Library  to see The Clarion – a Paper,a Movement, a Way of Life  The exhibition displays the Library’s extensive collection of Clarion material and tells the story of how a newspaper came to inspire a way of life. On 17 March at 2pm Bolton Clarion Choir will be performing and Denis Pye,  author of “Fellowship is Life;The National Clarion Cycling Club 1895-1995,  will speak about the Clarion movement.

Educate yourself…
Jailhouse Lawyers; Prisoners defending prisoners v.the USA by Mumia Abu–Jamal. (Crossroads Books)
Mumia has been in prison in the USA for over 25 years and his own trial and sentence has been challenged by Amnesty International. He has become an award winning journalist during his time in prison and in this book tells how prisoners in the USA have to learn the law in order to win justice for themselves and other prisoners.With introductions by activists, Angela Davis and Selma James,  it is a powerful demostration  of what even people in the most powerless situations can do if they get together and challenge the system.