Poetry Corner: The Eyes of Sutjeska by Vasko Popa
The Eyes of Sutyeska by Vasko Popa
Vasko Popa was a Serbian poet of Romanian descent. Born in modern day Romania, Popa spent his life between Serbia and Romania studying in both Belgrade and Bucharest. His poetic life was often concerned with Socialist Realism, an artistic form which focuses primarily on celebrating socialist life or uplifting the role of ordinary folk in contrast to romantic ideas of aloof heroes and divinely given gifts.
Communist Party centenary events announced for September – December 2020
The August meeting of the Communist Party executive agreed a schedule of events to step-up commemoration of its centenary. These include major online meetings and conferences: Cable street forever! (4 October), Salute the Volunteers for Liberty in Spain (17 October), Launch of Communist Party history (Mid-November) and a conference on The Future of Work (5 December).
Book@Bedtime: Mornings in Jenin (2006) by Susan Abulhawa
Like other regions of the UK and many other parts of the world, Cornwall has been on lockdown since the end of March with many workplaces having shut down and many workers having been furloughed. Governmental failings have been repeated here, as elsewhere, with lack of PPE and protection for essential workers and vulnerable people.
Bob Vylan – ‘We Live Here’ review
“We didn’t appear out of thin air / we live here” – Joe Weaver reviews London-duo Bob Vylan’s uncompromising new album, and explores some of the “extreme” political themes behind each track.
Book@Bedtime: Blackshirts & Reds (1997) by Michael Parenti
Nathan Russell reviews a modern classic by iconic US communist academic Michael Parenti and argues it has important lessons for today’s struggles.
“Mums & Kids”; Whores & Madonnas: why does men’s cricket hate female fans?
Abbie Rhodes discusses the sexist and anachronistic attitudes still so prevalent at every level of English cricket and what this means for female cricket fans.
Boxing: huge upset as veteran Povetkin stuns Whyte
As part of the Matchroom Boxing “Fight Camp” Series, Brixton’s Dillian Whyte took on the Russian Alexander Povetkin for a chance to challenge WBC Heavyweight world champion
Tyson Fury. After a long arduous battle for Whyte to get a mandatory position, and Povetkins attempts to regain his former glory, the two met on Saturday in front of no crowd to settle it.
Poetry Corner: Song to Fidel by Ernesto ‘Che’ Guevara
Song to Fidel by Ernesto ‘Che’ Guevara 1956
Che Guevara was an Argentinean-born, Cuban revolutionary leader who alongside Fidel Castro goes down in history as one of the greatest figures of the Cuban Revolution and arguably the 20th Century. One of his portraits, from the lens of Alberto Korda, is one the world’s most reproduced images.
Llanelli 1911 Railway Strike Commemoration – 13 to 22 August
Over a hundred years ago, during the first national railway stoppage in Britain, the military were called out in force to quell the strike. They were deployed in Llanelli where mass picketing had stopped all rail traffic. Troops from the Worcestershire Regiment shot dead two unarmed men and wounded two others, sparking the Llanelli Rising of 1911.
Poetry Corner: Communism is the Middle Term by Bertolt Brecht
Communism is the Middle Term by Bertolt Brecht.
Bertolt Brecht was a German Marxist poet, playwright and theatre director. Brecht lived through a turbulent era. Narrowly avoiding conscription at 16 during World War One, he worked prodigiously through throughout the period of the Weimar Republic. Brecht was forced to flee with the rise of the Nazis in 1933. He left the USA during the McCarthyite “Red Scare” returning to what was then the German Democratic Republic. He died on the 14th of August 1956.
