Free CD and booklet.
Spirit of Revolt is anarchist/libertarian-socialist archive dedicated to preserving and making easily accessible to the public at large, Glasgow/Clydeside grass-roots history of struggle. We are not connected to any political party or trade union nor do we receive any funding from any of these organisation. We are a volunteer group who give our time freely, however in a capitalist society funds are a necessary evil to survive and grow. We rely on our various outreach programs to raise funds, and the much appreciated supporters who have signed a direct debit to help sustain this project, to them, a great big thank you.
In an endeavour to increase our funds and help secure the project, we are, for a limited period offering a CD and booklet, Writers for Miners, to anyone who signs up a direct debit for £5 or more, to Spirit of Revolt. It will be free delivery in the UK, further afield we would have to look at the cost. Have a look at our website https://spiritofrevolt.info, if you like what we are doing and think we are doing a good job, then the price of a couple of coffees a month would be much appreciated.
Details of the CD and booklet:
The Writers for Miners Events, 1984
In 1984-85 events known as “Writers for Miners” took place on consecutive Saturdays in Glasgow’s 3rd Eye Centre to raise funds for striking coal miners at local pits in one of the most significant industrial disputes in world history.
With 140,000 out on strike the Thatcher Government planned to break the power of the NUM union, the most well organised group of workers in the country. With 11,291 arrests and lasting 1 year it unleashed massive state repression, brutality and violence. The other unions largely did not show solidarity and the strike failed, opening the door to the destruction of working class communities, job insecurity and privatisation.
Performers, poets, visual artists and others decided to support the striking miners in Scotland and formed artists-in-Solidarity which organised fundraising for the miners’ families by holding events. This CD is a recording of those events. James Kelman explains, “Radical history is marginalised by the State and events of this nature should be recorded otherwise they are forgotten. The STUC offered to part-fund the project but on this occasion failed to come up with the money. We still went ahead. It was hoped that a selection of songs, poetry and prose-readings might be produced eventually in the form of a couple of albums (all proceeds to the miners’ strike fund). It didn’t happen, for one reason or another…The original project was launched in support of the miners and their families. Those days may have gone but solidarity and comradeship haven’t. All proceeds from the sale of the Writers for Miners album will go toward the Spirit of Revolt (S.O.R.) Archive, in appreciation of the crucial work carried out by the S.O.R. volunteers in the preservation of radical history”.
In 1984, those involved were,
Norman McCaig, Freddy Anderson, Hamish Henderson, Duncan Maclean,
Kathleen Jamie and Robert Alan Jamieson, Donald Saunders, Peter Nardini,
Rab Noakes, Nancy Nicolson, Alasdair Gray, Jeff Torrington, Agnes Owens,
Carl MacDougall, James Kelman, Archie Hind, Donald Saunders, Tom
Leonard, Edwin Morgan, Edward Boyd, Danny Kyle, Tom McGrath, Jeff
Torrington, Agnes Owens, Archie Hind.
Where will you get such a fabulous collection of performers on one CD?
You can contact us at our donate info at the bottom of the page, or contact us at info@spiritofrevolt.info Set up your Direct debit, send us your address and we will forward the CD and booklet.
In anticipation we thank you for your support.
The Spirit of Revolt collective welcomes contributions to the Archive in many forms.
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