A youth education charity has won a £70,000 Heritage Lottery Fund grant to create a multimedia documentation about the life and works of CLR James, an influential writer, journalist and historian from the last century.
WORLDwrite charity aims to inspire a new generation with the two year project about the life of James, who was born in Trinidad but lived much of his life in the UK and died in Brixton.
The director of WORLDwrite, Ceri Dingle, said: “We aim to do justice to a lesser known hero whose works were always a call to action. We look forward to welcoming all-comers to the project over the next two years and to creating a great heritage resource the public can find inspiration in and enjoy.”
The project, titled “Every Cook Can Govern: Documenting the life, impact & works of CLR James” will include an in-depth documentary featuring interviews with scholars on the work of James and people who knew and were inspired by his writings.
Volunteers will also set up an online database where readers can find interviews, debates and articles from and about James.
Sue Bowers, Head of Heritage Lottery Fund London, said: “This exploration of the life and legacy of CLR James will create online and in film an account of this important 20th century literary figure, including interviews with people who knew him during his years living in London.”
The launch of the project, which is open to the public, will be held on Saturday November 23 from 3.00pm in The Long Room of the historic pavilion at The Kia Oval Cricket Ground and includes a debate by an expert panel and a cream tea. For more information and to buy tickets, go here.
Great blog, I liked your take on CLR James. I thought you might be interested in ‘Filmed Public Lecture: The Abolition of Slavery Debate’. It is an alternative lecture and discussion on factors which lead to the end of slavery. Were C.L.R James and Eric Williams right? Despite its profits, was slavery an inherently unstable system and outdated mode of production? With slaves dying like flies and rebellion on the cards was abolition ultimately a matter of economics? What role did moral objections play and what did William Wilberforce really have to do with it?
In his seminal work Black Jacobins C.L.R. James tells us “Despite the names that were to become so famous….we must beware of thinking that the ‘Friends of the Negro’ represented a force.”
Eric Williams in his book Capitalism and Slavery tells us “The commercial capitalism of the eighteenth century developed the wealth of Europe by means of slavery and monopoly. But in so doing it helped to create the industrial capitalism of the nineteenth century, which turned round and destroyed the power of commercial capitalism, slavery, and all its works. Without a grasp of these economic changes the history of the period is meaningless.”
The education charity WORLDwrite and its Citizen TV station WORLDbytes are delighted to be hosting this filmed public lecture on Wednesday 27th May at 7.00pm at the exciting venue, known as Chats Palace, (42-44 Brooksby’s Walk, London E9 6DF. see google map ). The lecture will be introduced by journalist, lecturer and author James Heartfield and forms part of the charity’s multi-media project on C.L.R. James entitled, ‘Every Cook Can Govern: Documenting the life, impact & works of C.L.R. James’.
Please arrive in time for drinks and complimentary snacks. The entrance fee will help towards venue and film costs for this exciting event.
Tickets cost £7/£4 for this event and as spaces are limited, it is wise to book as soon as possible.
Tickets can be booked online via
https://clr-alternative-lectures.eventbrite.com
For more details about the project visit our website http://www.clrjames.uk/ or get in touch via emailworld.write@btconnect.com
james was my professor and One needs to Look at the Chinese Miracle” Marxism is a Useful tool “mao Zedong” Lenism made a left turn one reach Asian! Main reason for Failure of Socialism is the Trillions spent by the the notables, Pharisees and Sadduces wbo in 2013 livwe in diaily fear that those with Least Make own a Roach! Im age 67 reared in Iim Crow and Vietnam Veterean! Prof james tought No Caribbean “Army “would ever ffire on the People! Mao told the Red Guards , the Border Regions and People Liberation Army is Off Limits but to prevent restoration of Capitalism he would join them in 2nd Long March wake up everbody aaron Neville 65 james L “mandingo”
Hope to hear more about this project, this a good article 24 to the voice newspaper.
I wonder how they will handle his Trotskyism in the 1930s and his coming round in the 1940s to the view that Russia was a form of state capitalism. Also, it’s ironic for someone who ultimately envisaged a society where money would not be needed to have his picture on a currency even if only on the funny money Brixton pound.