From the ‘freedom of the streets’: a biographical study of culture and social change in the life and work of writer Jack Common (1903-1968)

Abstract

The author assesses the life and work of the Newcastle upon Tyne born writer Jack Common in the light of the massive social, economic and cultural changes which have affected the North East of England and wider society through the period of Common's life and afterwards. He seeks to point out the relevance of Common to the present day in terms of his ideas about class, community and the individual and in the light of Common's sense of rebelliousness influenced by a process of grass-roots education and self-improvement. In addition, he draws upon his own extensive experience in community arts and education, looking, in particular, at the work he and others have carried out on Common over the last thirty years and assessing its value in the light of recent political changes. The author draws together the range of biographical and literary criticism carried out by a range of individuals over this period of time and brings into print hitherto unpublished material about Common's life and work by interviewing family members and associates, exploring the Common Archive at Newcastle University and other largely ignored sources, and studying Common's significant association with George Orwell in great detail. Through all of this, he seeks to argue that Common's life and ideas remain worthy of close attention in the present day.