Another England

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‘A visionary book’ Philip Pullman
‘Essential and magnificent’ George Monbiot
‘Deft and wonderfully poetic’ Grace Blakeley

The right have hijacked Englishness. Can it be reclaimed?

With the UK more divided than ever, England has re-emerged as a potent force in our culture and politics. But today the dominant story told about our country serves solely the interests of the right. The only people who dare speak of Englishness are cheerleaders for Brexit, exceptionalism and imperial nostalgia.

Yet there are other stories, equally compelling, about who we are: about the English people’s radical inclusivity, their deep-rooted commitment to the natural world, their long struggle to win rights for all. These stories put the Chartists, the Diggers and the Suffragettes in their rightful place alongside Nelson and Churchill. They draw on the medieval writers and Romantic poets who reflect a more sustainable relationship with the natural world. And they include the diverse voices exploring our shared challenges of identity and equality today.

Here, Caroline Lucas delves into our literary heritage to explore what it can teach us about the most pressing issues of our time: whether the toxic legacy of Empire, the struggle for constitutional reform, or the accelerating climate emergency. And she sketches out an alternative Englishness: one that we can all embrace to build a greener, fairer future.

Another England makes the compelling case that progressives need not shy away from talk of Englishness. Eloquent and persuasive, it offers a powerful new perspective on how we might make our national stories fit for the twenty-first century.—JON SNOW, former Channel 4 News presenterCaroline Lucas is the MP for Brighton Pavilion, and is the UK’s first and only Green Party MP. First elected to parliament in 2010, Caroline also served as leader of the Green Party of England and Wales from 2008 to 2012, and co-leader from 2016 to 2018. She holds a PhD in English from the University of Exeter, where her dissertation was on the role of women readers in Elizabethan literature. Find her on X @CarolineLucasGB

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