A SLAITHWAITE author has launched a new book on leading socialist and writer Allen Clarke.
Paul Salveson’s book is inspired by the fascinating life of the man, a prominent figure in the North’s socialist movement and much-loved writer of dialect sketches.
After working in a Mirfield mill as a child, Clarke fought his way into journalism, setting up the North’s first labour newspaper, The Labour Light, in 1890.
His writing was loved by thousands of Yorkshire mill workers.
He wrote over 20 novels and his dialect sketches sold over a million copies, his humorous sketches about life in the factories and mines helping win many people to Labour’s cause.
In his new book, Romantic Radical: The Life and Writings of Allen Clarke/Teddy Ashton, Paul explores Clarke’s life and work.
Paul launched his book and signed copies at Slaithwaite Library.
He said: “Allen Clarke was one of the most fascinating figures in northern literature. Much of what he had to say about life, politics and the environment are as relevant now as they were in his own time.”
The book is available from www.littlenorthernbooks.co.uk.
