Jeremy Corbyn and Len McCluskey collaborated to help achieve the biggest electoral success for socialism in recent UK history. The two men share a passionate belief in a fairer, more equal Britain, encapsulated in Labour's election slogan "For the Many Not the Few."
That slogan, inspired by Shelley's famous poem The Mask of Anarchy, points to something else the two have in common: A lifelong enthusiasm for poetry. In this sparkling anthology they discuss the poems that have moved and enlightened them. Their choices travel over centuries and continents, with poets ranging from Shakespeare and Juana de la Cruz, through William Blake and Emily Dickinson, to Bertolt Brecht, Stevie Smith and Maya Angelou.
Interspersed throughout are appreciations of poems selected by guest contributors, including Russell Brand, Professor Green, Julie Hesmondhalgh, Ken Loach, Morag Livingstone, Francesca Martinez. Ben Okri, Maxine Peake and Michael Rosen.
With the burgeoning popularity of poetry, especially among Gen Z, this celebration of the power of verse is bound to delight and inspire across a wide audience.
About the Author: Jeremy Corbyn is the Member of Parliament for Islington North and was Leader of the Labour Party between 2015 and 2019.
Len McCluskey was, until last year, the General Secretary of Britain's largest trade union, UNITE. He is the author of the recently published memoir Always Red.
