Additional information
by Brad Evans (Author)
Providing a searing insight and honest portrayal of post-industrial communities ravaged by decades of abandonment, How Black Was My Valley is the story of lives defined by poverty, catastrophe and the fading dreams of better futures.
"Written with authentic authority. It is evocative and excellent in every possible way." - Neil Kinnock How Black Was My Valley offers a raw, unforgettable look into the post-industrial landscape of South Wales, capturing the impact of poverty, disaster, and lost futures on communities that once fueled the British Empire. This powerful account intertwines personal stories with political insights, revealing the deep scars left by decades of economic abandonment. This compelling people's history explores the former mining communities of South Wales, shedding light on the hardship, isolation, and despair endured by those who once powered two world wars. Blending empathy and brutal honesty, the book travells through the dark shadows of the valley's past and present, confronting structural violence, lost opportunities, and the tragic rise in drug abuse and suicide. Rejecting narratives of resilience, How Black Was My Valley is a journey into a community's unhealed wounds--a poignant testament to voices once silenced, now demanding to be heard.Author Biography
Born into conditions of poverty in the Rhondda valleys of South Wales, Brad Evans is a political philosopher, critical theorist and writer, whose work specialises on the problem of violence. He is author of over 20 books and edited volumes, including most recently State of Disappearance (with Chantal Meza, McGill-Queens university Press: 2023). He previously led a dedicated columns/series on violence in both the New York Times and the Los Angeles Review of Books. Brad currently serves as Chair of Political Violence and Aesthetics at the University of Bath, United Kingdom, where is he founder and director of the Centre for the Study of Violence. web: www.brad-evans.co.uk
