Radicals in Conversation

In episode 1 of Locating Legacies, series host Gracie Mae Bradley speaks to Kojo Koram about Stuart Hall's contributions to radical thought and their relevance to present-day politics. Gracie and Kojo discuss some of the themes in Stuart Hall’s work pertaining to empire, neoliberalism and right-wing politics, and consider how Hall’s work might be utilised in the face of economic, ecological and political crises. Kojo Koram is a lecturer at the School of Law at Birkbeck College, University of London. He is the author of Uncommon Wealth: Britain and the Aftermath of Empire, co-author of Empire's Endgame and editor of The War on Drugs and the Global Colour Line. About the Series: Locating Legacies is a fortnightly podcast created by the Stuart Hall Foundation, co-produced by Pluto Press and funded by Arts Council England. The series is dedicated to tracing the reverberations of history to contextualise present-day politics, deepen our understanding of some of the crucial issues of our time, and to draw connections between past struggles and our daily lives. Get 40% off books in our 'Locating Legacies' reading list: plutobooks.com/locatinglegacies

We are excited to announce the Locating Legacies series - a fortnightly podcast created by the Stuart Hall Foundation and co-produced by Pluto Press. The series is dedicated to tracing the reverberations of history to contextualise present-day politics, deepen our understanding of some of the crucial issues of our time, and to draw connections between past struggles and our daily lives. Hosted by writer and organiser, Gracie Mae Bradley, the series explores some of the reoccurring themes in Stuart Hall’s thinking. Gracie, along with some of the most critical voices of our time, examine: the current state of right-wing politics, contemporary decolonial politics, the co-option of ‘identity politics’, how the Cold War has shaped politics today, the relationship between queer radicalism and class struggle, and the politics of abolition in the UK context.   In this trailer for the series, Chris Browne sits down with Gracie Mae Bradley and Orsod Malik, the Stuart Hall Foundation’s Programme Curator, to discuss how this project came to be and what listeners can expect from the episodes to come. Over the next 12 weeks, we are proud to be hosting contributions from Kojo Koram, Françoise Vèrges, Olúfẹ́mi O. Táíwò, Vijay Prashad, Sita Balani and Ruth Wilson Gilmore. Find out more about the Stuart Hall Foundation at: stuarthallfoundation.org This project was made possible through funding from Arts Council England.

Radicals in Conversation in-haus is a podcast series collaboration between Pluto Press and Bookhaus, an independent bookshop in Bristol. RIC in-haus is recorded on location at Bookhaus. The bookshop’s ‘in-haus’ events programme features authors of some of the most exciting radical nonfiction being published today. Episode 7 was recorded on the 8th March. James Meadway, the Director of the Progressive Economy Forum and former Economics Advisor to John McDonnell, came to Bookhaus to talk about his new co-authored pamphlet, The Cost of Living Crisis (and how to get out of it). Interviewed by Raven Hart, James explains in plain terms what is meant by 'inflation', increases or cuts in ‘real terms’, and phenomena like the ‘wage-price spiral’. He deals with the many myths, misconceptions and misdirections that abound in mainstream reporting on economics, and offers some practical proposals for how to resolve the crisis. bookhausbristol.com/shop

Since the election of Narendra Modi in 2014, India has changed dramatically. As the world attempts to grapple with its trajectory towards authoritarianism and ethnonationalism, little attention has been paid to the linkages between Modi's India and the governments from which it has drawn inspiration, as well as military and technical support. India may once have publicly condemned Zionism as a form of racism, but times have changed, and the state of Israel has increasingly become a cornerstone of India's foreign policy. Looking to emulate Israel in policy and practice, the recent annexation of Kashmir increasingly resembles Israel's settler-colonial project in the occupied West Bank. The ideological and political linkages between the two states are alarming; their brands of ethnonationalism deeply intertwined. This month we are joined on the show by Azad Essa, an award-winning journalist, and author of the new book, Hostile Homelands: The New Alliance Between India and Israel. We talk about the history of the shifting relationship between the two countries, India’s waning commitment to the Palestinian cause and the Israeli military industrial complex. We also discuss the influence of European fascism as well as Zionism on the development of the Hindu nationalist movement in the 20th century. Finally, Azad shares his insights on the significance of the relationship between Modi and Netanyahu, and the deteriorating situation in Kashmir.

In a context in which abolitionist discourse is reaching an ever-wider audience, and people’s trust in the state, as a vehicle through which we can hope to achieve meaningful political change, continues to ebb away, we are seeing a renewed engagement with prefigurative politics across the left. Pluto has always published books from a variety of political tendencies, and that includes anarchism. The label ‘anarchist’ has far from universal appeal, but as Scott Branson argues in their new book, Practical Anarchism: A Guide for Daily Life, the label itself is of secondary importance, and anarchism is something many of us are already practising in our daily lives, whether we realise it or not. From relationships to school, work, art, even the way we organise our time, the book shows us that anarchism can help us find fulfilment, empathy and liberation in the everyday. Scott joins us on the show for a conversation about their vision of a ‘practical anarchism’. We discuss the ways in which it is informed by Black and queer feminisms, how we can work to disidentify from the logic of capital and the state, and why we shouldn’t throw out the idea of ‘utopia’ altogether.

Radicals in Conversation in-haus is a new podcast series collaboration between Pluto Press and Bookhaus, an independent bookshop in Bristol. RIC in-haus is recorded on location at Bookhaus. The bookshop’s ‘in-haus’ events programme features authors of some of the most exciting radical fiction and nonfiction being published today. Episode 6 was recorded on 30th November. Darran McLaughlin from Bookhaus interviews Robin McLean, author of the new short story collection, Get ’em Young, Treat ’em Tough, Tell ’em Nothing, which was published by And Other Stories in 2022. Robin worked as a lawyer and then a potter in the woods of Alaska before turning to writing. Her story collection Reptile House won the 2013 BOA Editions Fiction Prize and was twice a finalist for the Flannery O’Connor Short Story Prize. She is also the author of a novel, Pity the Beast, which also came out with And Other Stories in 2021. Here, Robin discusses her background as a union worker and activist, her choice to live in politically ‘red’ states in the US, and the ways in which her writing grapples with themes such as the frontier myth and the American psyche. They also talk about her writing process, and the comparisons that her work has drawn to literary heavyweights such as William Faulkner and Toni Morrison. — Buy the book: bookhausbristol.com/shop

In 2022, workers have taken strike action on a massive scale, and many more are in the process of balloting to take strike action. In Britain, NHS workers, postal workers, criminal barristers, rail workers, university lecturers and many more have all walked out in the face of attacks on pay, pensions and working conditions. Amidst the cost of living and energy crises, spiralling inflation and the grim prospect of another recession, the need to fight such battles is urgent and acute.  In October, Pluto published Workers Can Win: A Guide to Organising at Work. Written by long-time labour organiser Ian Allinson, this nuts-and-bolts guide to organising your workplace argues that organising builds confidence, capacity and collective power - and with power we can win change. Ian joins us on the show this monthto talk about some of the key themes and ideas within the book. We’re also joined on the panel by Siobhan Aston, an NHS nurse based in Scotland, who is involved in grassroots organising within her union, the Royal College of Nursing (RCN). We discuss long term grievances around pay and working conditions in the NHS, new developments in anti-union legislation, and how people can show their solidarity with striking workers.

Radicals in Conversation in-haus is a new podcast series collaboration between Pluto Press and Bookhaus, an independent bookshop in Bristol. RIC in-haus is recorded on location at Bookhaus. The bookshop’s ‘in-haus’ events programme features authors of some of the most exciting radical nonfiction being published today. In episode 5, Andrew Murray speaks about his new book, Is Socialism Possible in Britain?: Reflections on the Corbyn Years (Verso, 2022). The book analyses Jeremy Corbyn’s tenure as Labour leader and the prospects for parliamentary socialism in a post-Corbyn Britain. A veteran of the Stop the War Coalition, Andrew Murray was seconded to Corbyn’s office from the Unite trade union, and he offers here an insider’s view of the most radical period in Labour’s recent history.  Andrew is in conversation with Darran McLaughlin from Bookhaus. They discuss the difference between the 2017 and 2019 elections, the Labour Party's Brexit woes, and the threat Corbyn posed to the political and economic establishment. In assessing what went right and what went wrong, Andrew also offers his thoughts on what might be done differently next time, if socialism is ever to be possible in Britain. — Buy the book: bookhausbristol.com/shop

Amidst the global pandemic, war, environmental catastrophe, the cost of living crisis, and where victories for anti-capitalist forces are few and far between, it can feel like we are living in well and truly hopeless times. But as Marxist philosopher John Holloway argues in his new book, the times may indeed be hopeless, but we must still have hope. Hope in Hopeless Times is the the final instalment in a trilogy which Holloway began 20 years ago with Change the World Without Taking Power, and which continued with Crack Capitalism. He joins us on the panel this month to discuss hope, identity politics, and the consequences of commodity exchange as a form of social relations. We also talk about COP27, the infamous Liz Truss mini-budget and the case for abolishing money altogether. Hope in Hopeless Times, Change the World Without Taking Power and Crack Capitalism are all available to buy from plutobooks.com. Podcast listeners can get 50% off with the coupon PODCAST. 

Radicals in Conversation in-haus is a new podcast series collaboration between Pluto Press and Bookhaus, an independent bookshop in Bristol. RIC in-haus is recorded on location at Bookhaus. The bookshop’s ‘in-haus’ events programme features authors of some of the most exciting radical nonfiction being published today. In episode 4, Gracie Mae Bradley and Luke de Noronha are in conversation with Nayya Raza from Bookhaus, about their new co-authored book, Against Borders: The Case for Abolition. They discuss the history and impact of border regimes, 'non-reformist reforms', and offer a utopian vision of the future in which borders - and the logic that underpins them - have been abolished.  — Buy the book: bookhausbristol.com/shop