Category Archives: book review

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

Posted on June 24, 2012 by lipstick socialist

Watch… Germinal(1993, a film based on the novel by French writer Emile Zola. It tells the story of a mining town in northern France in the 1860s, where children and women are still working down the pits. There are many … Continue reading →

Posted in book review, Communism, drama, education, films, human rights, labour history, Manchester, music, novels, Salford, trade unions, Uncategorized, women, young people | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

From the Manchester Martyrs to the Birmingham 6…..

Posted on June 20, 2012 by lipstick socialist

Plaque on Hyde Rd in Manchester which marks the spot where the Fenians were freed in 1867. Book Review:The Manchester Martyrs by Joseph O’Neill (Mercier Press, 2012) ISBN 978-1-85635-951-1 The Martyrs were three members of the Irish Republican Brotherhood (also … Continue reading →

Posted in book review, Catholicism, human rights, Ireland, Irish second generation, labour history, Manchester | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Stop, Look, Listen………excerpts from my Roman Holiday…….

Posted on June 17, 2012 by lipstick socialist

Watch…Christ stopped at Eboli (DVD) originally a book by Carlo Levi, an anti-fascist, who in 1935 was sent into internal exile by Mussolini. The title comes from a saying by southern Italians that the area has been neglected even by … Continue reading →

Posted in anti-cuts, biography, book review, Communism, drama, films, human rights, music, occupy, Salford, Socialism, young people | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

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

Falling through the craic……..

Posted on May 23, 2012 by lipstick socialist

Manchester IBRG and Lord Mayor Eileen Kelly at the Hearts and Minds Conference November 1987 Review of Irish Blood: English Heart, Irish second generation musicians by Sean Campbell, published by Cork University Press. In this interesting, but flawed, book Sean … Continue reading →

Posted in book review, Ireland, Irish second generation, music | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

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

Sheila Rowbotham; a dreamer of a new day

Posted on April 25, 2012 by lipstick socialist

Watching the DVD of Trevor Griffith’s 1976 TV drama Bill Brand reminded me how exciting and important the 1970s were for the Left. Brand (played by Jack Shepherd) is a newly elected Labour MP from a northern constituency. Apart from … Continue reading →

Posted in anti-cuts, book review, Socialist Feminism, women | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Maeve Kelly: Irishwoman, Feminist,Writer, Activist

Posted on April 19, 2012 by lipstick socialist

As a feminist and campaigner in the Irish community in Britain in the 1980s and 90s, it was great discovering the novels of Maeve Kelly. There were (and maybe still are) many depressing stereotypes about the lives of Irish women … Continue reading →

Posted in book review, Catholicism, Ireland, Irish second generation, NHS, novels, women | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

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

Posted on April 15, 2012 by lipstick socialist

Watch…..Las Acacias (2011 Argentina) A lorry driver, a road journey from Paraguay to Buenos Aires and a woman with a child who joins him on the trip. There is little script and the baby plays a big role in bringing … Continue reading →

Posted in art exhibition, book review, films, music, novels, poetry, young people | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

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

Posted on April 8, 2012 by lipstick socialist

Watch… Le Havre a film by Aki Kaurismaki. Set in Le Havre in 2012, the film is about a man who shines shoes for a living and helps save a refugee African boy from the French police. It’s more than … Continue reading →

Posted in book review, Communism, drama, films, human rights, Ireland, Irish second generation, labour history, music, North of Ireland, Socialism, women | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment