Common People: A Folk History of Land Rights, Enclosure and Resistance

(Hardback, 0th New edition)

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A stunning book by photographer Leah Gordon and bestselling art author Stephen Ellcock, illustrated with 100 incredible colour images from a diverse range of artists of different eras, exploring the enclosure of common land in England and the struggle over the centuries to regain access. A stunning book by photographer Leah Gordon and bestselling art author Stephen Ellcock, illustrated with 100 incredible colour images from a diverse range of artists of different eras, exploring the enclosure of common land in England and the struggle over the centuries to regain access. This book is an ambitious project to trace through diverse artworks the history of the enclosure of common land in England and the stories of those who over the centuries have attempted to resist this. Richly illustrated with Leah Gordon's photography, it brings together wonderful array of artworks, from renowned fine art imagery to historical satirical work to photography of folk customs past and present. Discover- A timeline of the history of the struggle for access to the land, from the Peasants' Revolt to the Enclosure Acts to the current Right to Roam movement. The stories of rural leaders of resistance such as Gerrard Winstanley, Robert Kett, the Levellers, the Diggers, the Luddites, Queen Mag and Captain Swing, and the peasant poet, John Clare, The links between the histories of the industrial working-class and the peasants. Tales of contemporary conflict around land rights, such as the allotment movement, New Age travellers, the rave scene, the anti-road protests and the Right to Roam campaigns. Common People offers a re-imagining of English history from below, informing readers about the silenced history of the enclosures and the incredible visual creativity that has been inspired by rural resistance and protest.

Author Bio

Leah Gordon is an artist, curator and writer. Her film and photographic work has been exhibited internationally including at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney; the Dak'art Biennale; the National Portrait Gallery, UK and MOCA, Miami, Florida. She is the author of Kanaval and the director and producer of the award-winning documentary Kanaval- A People's History of Haiti in Six Chapters. Find out more here- leahgordon.co.uk Stephen Ellcock is a bestselling author, art director, curator and online collector of images who has amassed over 600,000 followers across social media. He is the author of All Good Things, Time for Magic, The Cosmic Dance, Underworlds and Elements, among other books. Annabel Edwards is writer and researcher who has worked in publishing, journalism, and on numerous art projects. She has been documenting the free festival scene and New Age Travellers since the 1990s.