Author: gregorybillam

Events, Labour history news

Robert Rumble Conference 2026 Report

On the 14 May 2026, the inaugural Robert Rumble Conference brought together almost one hundred participants to explore the life, work, and legacy of Robert Rumble and the Poor Man’s Improvement and Land Settlement Association (PMILSA) at the Grace Baptist Church, May Pen, Clarendon, Jamaica. Organised as part of the Jamaica–Wales Alliance and Learning Links International “Building Bridges of Friendship” programme, the event focused on … Continue reading Robert Rumble Conference 2026 Report

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Books etc, Labour history news

Loose Cannons: a graphic tale of forgotten humanists

A new graphic novel running through the lives and ideas of humanists, both well known and unjustly forgotten, has just been announced. Paul Fitzgerald (Polyp), a Manchester-based illustrator and cartoonist, and Madeleine Goodall, a researcher and writer on humanist history, proposed book sets out to recover ‘unjustly forgotten freethinking humanists’ and bring them back into popular history. In recent years, Polyp has produced a range … Continue reading Loose Cannons: a graphic tale of forgotten humanists

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Advice & reference, SSLH news, Topic guides

Sources for the history of the 1926 General Strike

To mark the centenary of the 1926 General Strike and lock-out, the Society for the Study of Labour History has produced a new subject guide on the 1926 General Strike. Compiled by the Society’s Archives and Resources Committee, the guide provides an overview of key collections held at institutions that are members of the SSLH’s ARC. The fact sheet includes details of the main archives … Continue reading Sources for the history of the 1926 General Strike

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Events, Labour history news

Wales, 1926 and the coalfield community

Llafur, the Welsh People’s History Society, is holding a series of summer talks, panels and discussions on the 1926 General Strike and lock-out in Wales. The following programme of six online sessions will take place over the course of this summer and early autumn. All online sessions are accessible to all and will be held via Zoom at the times shown below. Summer Programme: “Now … Continue reading Wales, 1926 and the coalfield community

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Events

Event: Exile, affinity, and the afterlives of the Paris Commune in Britain

Dr Laura C. Forster (University of York) will deliver an online and in-person talk on Tuesday 9 June titled: “Exile, affinity, and the afterlives of the Paris Commune in Britain”, covering her recent book, The Paris Commune in Britain: Radicals, Refugees, and Revolutionaries after 1871 (Oxford University Press, 2025). Dr Forster’s paper examines the intellectual and political afterlives of the Paris Commune in Britain. Focusing … Continue reading Event: Exile, affinity, and the afterlives of the Paris Commune in Britain

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Events, Labour history news

Exhibition: When Britain Stood Still: The General Strike at 100

To mark the 100th anniversary of the British General Strike, a new exhibition at the University of Newcastle, reveals how workers, politicians, and trade unionists faced the challenge of the General Strike and how its opponents organised to resist it. The exhibition is part of the broader General Strike 100 which brings together stories, exhibitions and events to remember the strike and its impact on working … Continue reading Exhibition: When Britain Stood Still: The General Strike at 100

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Labour history news, SSLH news

SSLH Statement: History at the University of Hertfordshire

The Society for the Study of Labour History is deeply saddened and shocked to learn that the University of Hertfordshire intends to make cuts across a range of humanities subjects, including the closure of its taught history provision. In recent years, a number of universities have embarked upon programmes of voluntary redundancies and departmental restructuring, about which we have previously expressed our grave concern. In an … Continue reading SSLH Statement: History at the University of Hertfordshire

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Events

Retracing the voices of Eva and Clements Kadalie in Southern Africa

Following the publication of Militant Migrants: Clements Kadalie, the ICU and the Mass Movement of Black Workers in Southern Africa, 1896-1951 and the launch of the play, Forgotten Voices, historian Henry Dee, and playwright David Moorhead, reflect on their journey to retrace the voices of two of the most significant figures in the Southern African Black liberation struggle. In the early 20th century, Eva and … Continue reading Retracing the voices of Eva and Clements Kadalie in Southern Africa

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Labour history news

North East Labour History Society Award

The North East Labour History Society has launched an essay competition for research into labour history in the North East of England. The Sir Chaplin Labour History Award is awarded to the best essay submitted on any aspect of the history of labour in the North East. The competition, which includes a £100 book token and publication of the winning essay in the journal North … Continue reading North East Labour History Society Award

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