Category Archives: biography

Leila Khaled; Icon of Palestinian Liberation

Posted on June 7, 2012 by lipstick socialist

Sarah Irving, Leila Khaled Icon of Palestinian Liberation Pluto Press ISBN 987-0-7453-2951-2 Reading this book reminded me of another icon in my own community, Bernadette Devlin McAliskey. Like Leila, she grew up in an occupied country and has spent her … Continue reading →

Posted in biography, book review, human rights, Ireland, Middle East, Palestine, Socialism, women | Tagged , , , | 7 Comments

Stop! Look! Listen! my weekly selection of favourite films, books and events to get you out of the house…

Posted on May 13, 2012 by lipstick socialist

Watch…The King of Comedy (1983) One Of Martin Scorsese’s finest films, although it was not one of his most successful when it came out in 1983. A mixture of fantasy and real life it features Robert DeNiro as Rupert Pupkin, … Continue reading →

Posted in biography, book review, drama, films, human rights, Ireland, Irish second generation, Middle East, music, North of Ireland, novels, trade unions, women | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Stop! Look! Listen! a weekly selection of some of my favourite films/books/people…

Posted on March 25, 2012 by lipstick socialist

Watch… Happy People (2010) A year in the Taiga by Dmitry Vasyukov. Siberia extends from the Urals to the Pacific and is one and a half times the size of the USA. 38 million people live in this area, but … Continue reading →

Posted in biography, Communism, education, films, Ireland, Irish second generation, labour history, Manchester, music, Socialism, trade unions | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Stop! Look! Listen! a weekly selection of some of my favourite films/books/people…

Posted on March 18, 2012 by lipstick socialist

Watch… Ken Loach at the BBC. During the 60’s and 70’s at the BBC he directed some of his most innovative work with Tony Garnett and Jim Allen which is now collected on this excellent DVD. It includes Cathy Come … Continue reading →

Posted in biography, book review, drama, films, labour history, music, Socialism, Socialist Feminism, trade unions, TV drama, women | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Stop! Look! Listen! a weekly selection of some of my favourite films/books/people…

Posted on March 11, 2012 by lipstick socialist

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 … Continue reading →

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Stop! Look! Listen! a weekly selection of some of my favourite films/books/people…

Posted on February 17, 2012 by lipstick socialist

Watch… Testament of Youth.  The autobiography  of Vera Brittain, who grew up in pre-war  Buxton.  It’s a reminder of the restrictiveness of women’s lives in that period. Her parents did not see any point to her going to University,  but … Continue reading →

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Book review: This Slavery by Ethel Carnie Holdsworth

Posted on February 14, 2012 by lipstick socialist

This Slavery by  Ethel Carnie Holdsworth (Trent Editions, 2011)  ISBN 9781842331415 The Ragged Trousered Philanthropist is  often lauded by trade union leaders as the book of choice for their members, though I am not sure how many of them have … Continue reading →

Posted in biography, book review, labour history, novels, poetry, Socialism, trade unions, women | 4 Comments

Stop! Look! Listen! a weekly selection of some of my favourite films/books/people…

Posted on February 5, 2012 by lipstick socialist

Watch….. Saturday Night Fever is my favourite film. Set in Brooklyn it’s the story of many young working class people across the world, music and dancing being the passport from a boring life. In the late 70’s me and my … Continue reading →

Posted in biography, Communism, education, films, labour history, Manchester, music, poetry, Socialism, women | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment