Geoff Andrews: Radicals - Labour’s Hidden Histories

The political Left in Britain rose out of the Industrial Revolution, when the working classes emerged as a leading force in movements for social change. Their contributions were as various as they were vital: political representation, the birth of the Labour Party, women’s suffrage, the autodidact tradition in adult education – even Britain’s literary culture.

Join Geoff Andrews to explore Labour's hidden history and radicalisms through the ideas of its leading thinkers, in a talk based on his new book, Radicals: the Working Classes and the Making of Modern Britain.

About Geoff Andrews

Geoff Andrews has taught for many years in adult education, mainly for The Open University and Oxford University’s Department for Continuing Education. He is the author of several books on British history, the Cambridge spies, and Italian politics. His new book, Radicals: the Working Classes and the Making of Modern Britain has just been published by Yale University Press. He is a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society.

More about Geoff

• X: @andrewsgeoff

Buy the book at Waterstones

About MK Lit Fest

Milton Keynes Literary Festival (MK Lit Fest) began in 2017, since when over 250 authors - ranging from international bestsellers to debut novelists, and including all kinds of fiction and non-fiction - have appeared at our in-person and online events. We also host children's events, literary walks, writing workshops, submission-based events for local writers, an annual writing competition and anthology, and more. Our next in-person festival is happening between 22 and 26 April 2026 in Central Milton Keynes, but our programme extends year round. Visit us online at  www.mklitfest.org or follow us as @MKLitFest on most social channels.