Paperback, 147 pages
Published 2019 by Repeater Books.
In the early twenty-first century, “Englishness” suddenly became a hot topic. A rash of art exhibitions, pop albums and coffee table books arrived on the scene, all desperate to recover England’s lost national soul. But when we sweep away the patriotic stereotypes, we begin to see that England is a country that does not — and perhaps should not — exist in any essential sense.
In this provocative text combining polemic and memoir, Alex Niven argues that the map of the British Isles should be torn apart completely as we look towards a time of radical political reform. Rejecting outdated nationalisms, Niven argues for a renovated model of culture and governance for the islands — a fluid, dynamic version of regionalism preparing the way for a new “dream archipelago”.
(via publisher website)
A really special little book! Powerful call to arms to reinvent our concept and perception AND practical formation of England. Useful both as a political reimagining of cultural and geographical lines, and also just as getting a better picture of critical theory in the UK over the past 10 yrs or so. Very beautiful memories of Mark Fisher.
