As I’ve probably said before many a time, one of my favourite things as a reader is when you randomly stumble across something really wonderful which takes you off on a reading tangent and down a wormhole of exploration. That happened with me recently, when I came across mention of “Newcastle, Endless” on Twitter, which I promptly sent off for, loved and reviewed here. Needless to say, I felt the need to explore more of author Alex Niven‘s work and a quick check online revealed his recent book“New Model Island” (which was mentioned in “Newcastle…”). Lovely Blackwells obliged and it was another book I felt needed to bypass the TBR mountain; I seem to be doing a lot of that lately…
“New Model Island” was published by Repeater Books in 2019, so is writing about a pre-pandemic world; and its subtitle, “How to build a radical culture beyond the idea of England”, reveals just what an interesting work it is. Taking a dramatic starting point of the opinion that England and Englishness don’t actually exist, Niven sets out to explore the void at the centre of the mythologies and stereotypes perpetrated by the mass media. The 20th century cliche of tea, crumpets and cricket is most definitely a construct, and a dig deeper into the past of the humans living on what Niven calls our archipelago of islands reveals a past built out of many different peoples from different backgrounds and with radically different living experiences than the patriotic rhetoric would suggest.
To be English is to feel hemmed in, straitjacketed, resentful of neighbours, and ready to direct political anger at the nearest adjacent target (women, immigrants, benefit claimants, or even just the normative working class) rather than the real source of one’s actual imagined impoverishment: so often the millionaire beneficiary of old or new money, who lives in a large house hidden by trees on the edge of town.
The structure of the book is fascinating; Niven mixes his theories with personal memoir and experience, focusing strongly on his friendship with the writer, music critic, cultural theorist, philosopher and teacher Mark Fisher, one of the founders of Zero Books, who took his own life in 2017. That loss has a dramatic effect on Niven, and as well as drawing on Fisher’s theories, he explores the whole history of Zero books. That history took another turn recently, as Repeater have apparently bought back Zero Books so as to be wholly independent again. Interestingly, I have a number of Zero titles on my shelves and was prompted to dig them out again…
But I digress. The author, therefore, has a strong political lean to the left (with which I empathise…) and is happy to take on any number of sacred cows (Orwell and Billy Bragg included!) Niven’s historical knowledge of the history of our archipelago is impressive, and he ranges widely, drawing into his discussion anything from Basil Bunting’s “Briggflatts” to Alton Towers, where he identifies the void at the heart of England. The chapter on this is perhaps unexpected, but fascinating…
If England really exists, it does so in a highly limited sense that can only be clearly glimpsed at ostentatiously hidden sites like Alton Towers, sites that would probably rather be forgotten by advocates of both the convervative-pastoral myth of Englishness, and the modern liberal fantasy that England is a sophisticated multicultural democracy with just a couple of minor problems.
Having explored that void, he then advances his radical idea of how to restructure our lands, by splitting it into two large and equally resourced administrative areas, with a divide running diagonally from the north east down to Wales, thereby creating a north and west triangle to balance the south and east, where power lies at the moment. It’s a revolutionary concept, but one that certainly makes more sense that the current so-called government’s mealy-mouthed talk of ‘levelling-up” which is basically meaningless.
Towards the end of the book, Niven explores the then current political situation, seeing hope in the coming of Corbyn to Labour, and a possible end to Tory monopoly in sight. Alas, that was not to be, and the last few pages of the book reminded me of a time when I’d dared to hope this country was moving towards a fairer society, instead of what Niven describes as “a confused, post-imperial half-nation founded on structures of monarchism, financial services and rentier capitalism.”
Although superficially about a very different topic to “Newcastle, Endless”, it’s clear that Niven’s ideas and beliefs suffuse both works and I found his narrative gripping. No, there aren’t sheaves of post-its sticking out of my copy – there was so much which stimulated my brain that I had to keep jotting down things in a notebook! As a Scot, and therefore an outsider, I perhaps found the arguments easier to appreciate than someone born in e.g. the south east of the country would; but it’s worth approaching the book with an open mind as this will really bring rewards. “New Model Island” is an invigorating and thought-provoking work which buzzes with ideas; and its wonderful blend of the personal and the political means that the book is never a dry, academic work. Instead, it makes compelling reading and puts forward a really fascinating blueprint for a new structure on our islands which would ensure a fairer distribution of control and therefore wealth for everyone. A utopian concept, maybe, but one that really should be considered seriously…
*****
I’ll claim this title for Non-Fiction November, and highly recommend it and “Newcastle, Endless” if you want to have your thoughts provoked! Needless to say, I’ve felt the need to track down two more Niven titles (published by Zero Books back in the day – thank you again, wonderful Blackwells). These sound just as interesting as the two Nivens I’ve read! 😀
Nov 24, 2021 @ 12:06:30
Some of the analysis you outline is still relevant, even Corbyn’s For the many, not the few which was obviously a red line too far for voters who believed they’d rather be impoverished Little Englanders than compassionate cosmopolites. You as a Scot and me, now resident in Wales, can appreciate the fake Churchillian vibes for what they are, but until there’s a radical shake-up in voting practices I fear morbid nostalgia is here to stay.
Nov 24, 2021 @ 14:00:52
Yes, I’m not optimistic. So few seem to be able to see through the fog of Tory lies and recognise them for what they really are. Sadly it seems that many are only concerned with personal greed rather than the good of all, and as you say, until there’s a change in mindset and the choices of voters…
Nov 24, 2021 @ 12:06:50
Oh, how interesting! I didn’t study sociology and social constructs at uni (other than a course or two), but I find the topic fascinating. I actually think there are some of those constructs in just about every culture, and it’s fascinating to peel back the proverbial layers and really take a look at what makes up a culture, how those constructs are created, and what make make for a better society. I may have to look up Niven’s writing!
Nov 24, 2021 @ 13:58:51
It’s really, really interesting and such an interesting look at the social structures we have in place. I really enjoy Niven’s writing, so it’s a good thing I have a couple more of his books pending…
Nov 24, 2021 @ 12:31:36
Oh, this sounds good! Also hooray Repeater Books, how funny that we’ve both read a book published by them in quick succession! (or at the same time, given that you’re probably reviewing ahead).
Nov 24, 2021 @ 13:57:53
It’s excellent and so thought-provoking! Repeater do put out some fascinating books. And yes – I’m still catching up with reviewing…
Nov 24, 2021 @ 17:08:24
Such an interesting review, Karen, and I can see why you were attracted to this book. Funnily enough, it might well appeal to one of my book subscribers – a reader with a keen interest in social structures/constructs and how they’ve shaped the social landscape over the years. I’ve made a note of it with this reader in mind.
Nov 24, 2021 @ 17:15:29
Thanks Jacqui, and I hope your subscriber enjoys it. It’s quite a refreshing read in that it takes on all those sacred cows and isn’t afraid to criticise. Yet it has suggestions to make about alternative options, so it certainly does get you thinking!
Nov 24, 2021 @ 19:54:04
I’ve given up hoping that things will get better, or at least become a bit fairer. Johnson and his cronies just prove that the English majority don’t want a fair society. As it’s the hope that kills you – I’m not hoping, well there’s always Scottish Independence I suppose. But maybe that would be a case of – be careful what you wish for!
Nov 24, 2021 @ 20:02:50
Yeah, I feel much the same. I feel increasingly distanced from large chunks of the country – why do people not want a fairer world? Like you, I don’t have much hope… As for Scottish Independence, part of me thinks it could be a good thing, but part of me thinks we shouldn’t be setting up more borders. Very difficult…
Nov 24, 2021 @ 21:58:31
A really lovely post on the book and its ideas. It’s interesting how much has been and is recently being written about looking more honestly at the reality of a place’s history and possible ideas for doing things differently in the future. And no surprise, the very noisy pushback.
Nov 25, 2021 @ 14:50:08
Thank you! I do feel that the traditional ways of doing things just aren’t working and we do need to think outside the box. Unfortunately, some people do seem a little too rigid in their thinking to do that…
Nov 24, 2021 @ 22:33:25
What a fascinating read. It’s so much fun when we get taken down unexpected wormholes with our reading. Niven’s ideas are radical, but things do need to change somehow. I think I have begun to lose hope in what lies ahead.
Nov 25, 2021 @ 14:47:44
It was really interesting, and I think maybe radical ideas are what we need – things are so rubbish at the moment that the normal ways of trying to change things don’t seem to be working.
Nov 25, 2021 @ 11:12:57
This does sound fascinating Kaggsy. I’m to the left too, so I would expect to sympathise with a lot of what Niven says. Unfortunately I’m searching for that glimmer of hope that he found at the end (a different time obviously)…
Nov 25, 2021 @ 14:46:53
Me too – I very much empathise with what he’s saying but I wonder if we’re too far down the wrong road now… 😦
Nov 25, 2021 @ 11:40:00
This sounds interesting and a really unique topic!
Nov 25, 2021 @ 14:46:24
It is – an unusual and perhaps unexpected angle to take on how to fix a broken country, but a really interesting one!
Nov 25, 2021 @ 21:33:18
Is he exploring England in the pure sense of the word or is he using that to stand in for all the nations within UK?
Nov 26, 2021 @ 09:44:09
It’s more the *concept* of England and Englishness – that cliche of crumpets and cricket and Little Englanders which ends up (mis)representing a whole nation and standing for the UK when much of it (the North, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland) would reject it outright. The kind of mentality that brought Brexit about…
Nov 26, 2021 @ 21:19:45
Ah, got it
Dec 31, 2021 @ 07:02:20