Phoenix Stories
Socialist Press1980 1980-02-06Read it in the scan (PDF), scan page 8 →
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Ernie Stubbins reviews lished by the Federation Community Publishers, 'E Dean St., Newcastle-on-Ty 'Phoenix Stories' is an anthology of children's writings from the Phoenix School in East London.
It is published by the Federation. of Worker Writers and Community Publishers to commemorate the work of Blair Peach as a teacher at Phoenix before his murder by the SPG last year.
Over recent years there has been a growing movement of worker writers, cutting through the constraints imposed by the decaying imperialist culture on the ability of the working class to express itself openly.
Many of the growth points in this cultural development have been in the collapsing inner cities of London, Liverpool and Manchester.
Part of the impetus behind the movement comes from a growing concern among workers for their own history, and many worker writers became involved through local history projects.
Autobiography
There is now a substantial body of independently produced workers' autobiography, which give vivid insight into work conditions and 'Phoenix Stories • Pubof Worker Writı ers and • Floor, Milburn House, ne, price 50p.
workers', itudes 60 or 70 years.
The other main strand in the movement starts at the other end of the age scale.
Teachers like Blair Peach and Christopher Searle have made use of the facilities of the school to create an audience tor children's writing in the local community, building the children's self confidence in ways which good exam results cannot achieve, and which the education system seems designed to avoid "Phoenix Stories' is a collection from some of Peach's pupils. Its recurrent theme is the way in which living conditions in East London, particularly high rise housing, destroy human relationships.
Spiky
The waiting and drawings are sharp and spiky and have a very direct method of expression. For readers not yet acquainted with the worker writers movement this volume would make an excellent. and refreshing introduction..
Any profits from the volume will be given to the Blair Peach Memorial Fund.
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