PORTAL: WILLIAM MORRIS AS SOCIAL ACTIVIST
Introduction
This Social Thought portal is designed to introduce you to a side of William Morris that many folks who admire only his artistic work sometimes don't know about. Morris was a social thinker and leader in the emerging Socialist movement who advocated for the rights of every individual, for the humane treatment of everyone, and the preservation of simpler social arrangements (such as existed in past civilizations).
Follow these steps to learn more about William Morris the Socialist:
- Start by reading Morris's biography to learn about his early involvement with the Hammersmith Socialist League, and his leadership in speaking out about social issues through lectures, demonstrations, and print media like Justice and the Commonweal.
- Then head to Morris's Socialist Diary hosted by our friends at the Marxists Internet Archive (They also provide full texts of most of Morris's published socialist writings, as well). The Introduction by Florence Boos is a valuable overview of Morris's Socialism.
- Once you have a good overview, read about Socialism in Morris's own words at the Bibliography of Morris's Writings. Look for these items:
- Hear what present-day thinkers have to say about Morris's Socialism, and see how it's relevant to the world we live in today:
- Pinkney, Tony "The Pre-Raphaelites in Oxford." JWMS 7.4 (Spring 1988): 5-9.
- Marsh, Jan. "Concerning Love: News From Nowhere and Gender." William Morris & News from Nowhere: A Vision for Our Time. Eds. Stephen Coleman and Paddy O'Sullivan. (Bideford, Devon: Green Books, 1990): 107-125.
- Watkinson, Ray. "The Obstinate Refusers: Work in News From Nowhere." William Morris & News from Nowhere: A Vision for Our Time. Eds. Stephen Coleman and Paddy O'Sullivan. (Bideford, Devon: Green Books, 1990): 91-106.
- Salmon, Nicholas. "The Revision of A Dream of John Ball." JWMS 10.2 (Spring 1993): 15-17.
- Faulkner, Peter. "Murray, Marx and Morris." JWMS 12.4 (Spring 1998): 7-14.
- Boos, Florence S. "News From Nowhere and 'Garden Cities': Morris's Utopia and Nineteenth-Century Town-Design." Journal of Pre-Raphaelite Studies n. s. 7.2 (Fall 1998): 5-27.
- Boos, Florence S. "Personal and Political Lieux d'Anticipation in News from Nowhere." William Morris, News from Nowhere, Ouvrage Collectif Coordonné par Béatrice Laurent (Editions du Temps: Nantes, 2004): 93-107.
- See the research that the Morris Society has helped to publicize through the Journal of William Morris Studies.
A list of articles on Morris's social thought is available here .
- Want to learn more? Visit our bibliography of books about Morris.
- Ready to take an active role in promoting Morris's ideals of beauty in design and function, respect for the traces of the past, and social justice for all? Find out how to get involved as part of the William Morris Society!
- You may also want to see the World Socialist Movement web site. The WSM is influenced broadly by Morris's ideas.
Other Sides of William Morris
For more details about the other aspects of William Morris, see our other portals:
- LIFE: Learn who William Morris was, what he did, where he lived, who he knew, and why he's still relevant today.-->
- ART: Morris's visual designs, including book design, calligraphy, furniture, decorative arts, paintings, drawings, stained glass, tapestries, textiles, and wallpapers.
- WRITING: Morris's literary output, including poetry and fiction.
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LAST UPDATE 16 JULY 2008
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