Introducing Understanding TWT - a series on the ideas and concepts that have inspired our work.
First up, we spoke to political theorist, DJ, and long-time contributor to (and supporter of) TWT, Jeremy Gilbert. Jeremy spoke to us about 'affect' (bodily emotion) in political practice, what we mean by 'collective joy', why these are essential for building a mass political movement, and how TWT has and can continue to embed this thinking in its work.
In the second episode of Understanding TWT, we spoke to Red Pepper co-editor and co-founder Hilary Wainwright. Hilary spoke to us about the history of the ‘new left’ from the Hungarian revolution of 1956, how the Soviet Union’s domination of its bordering countries led many socialists to re-evaluate their understanding of Marx and relationship to the party and state, how TWT fits into and is informed by that history, and how the ideas of the new left continue to develop and change today.