A peaceful protest at Manchester’s St Peter’s Field is brought to a bloody end by a deadly cavalry charge of sabre swinging yeomanry. The violent culmination to months of fulminating antipathy between the working and ruling classes ultimately becomes a watershed moment in the fight of the disenfranchised to have a voice and meaning to their superficially inconsequential lives. The Peterloo Massacre has been described as ‘Manchester’s Tiananmen Square’ and is regarded as one of the most significant moments in English political history. Dr Morgan added: “It’s still relevant today, when we see the ways in which political discourse is being changed and shaped, the ways in which people are protesting – this isn’t just about an event that happened 200 years ago, it’s about the continued fight for our democratic rights.” The shared images and themes across the collection give us a real understanding of how people reacted to the massacre.”

In this vivid and compelling historical novel, Carolyn O’Brien weaves a spell that draws the reader in time and time again. I found ‘The Song of Peterloo’ hard to put down as the story of the days and weeks leading up to the 16th August 1819 unfolded. For me this had echoes of Elizabeth Gaskell’s novels, and as a Mancunian I found it fascinating to read the descriptions of how Manchester was 200 years ago. I found this book really interesting and enthralling. If you love your historical genre and a mixture of fact and fiction. This is recommended for you. Shelley’s invocation to the people to ‘shake your chains’ still speaks powerfully to us today. Despite the huge improvements in the quality and standard of living, (and the establishment of the Labour movement) we still live in a society in which some people do not have enough to eat. In the women’s marches of 2017 and protests against Trump and Brexit, we see the power of collective action. In Britain, we have a long and proud tradition of holding truth to power, using poetry, song and art as a way of reclaiming a narrative and giving voice to the unheard.Dr Morgan added: “Brought together in my book for the first time, these poems have a stronger power and a louder voice. The words echo down the centuries, speaking to us of the horrors of the time in texts that cannot be ignored. We also hear from Mary, Nancy's good friend from the mill, and Joseph Price, a young man who plays a part in Nancy's story too. After encountering Samson and all that he hopes to achieve, Nancy becomes interested in reform and social justice and this leads her to be at St Peter's Field on the fateful day, 16th August 1819, when unarmed and peaceful protestors were charged at by the Yeomanry. There is no denying the strong theme of family that runs throughout this story. Love and endurance are key in such times of struggle and Nancy represents a strong woman who is not afraid to stand up for what she believes in. Nancy is a credible character and I was rooting for her and her son, Walter, at the very end. Indeed, the closing of the novel was the most poignant for me, offering love and hope for the future.

One thing I must note about The Song Of Peterloo is that it's very much character-driven. From the beginning, you're introduced to a hefty handful of characters, 90% of whom hold some importance to the overall plot of the book. If you're like me, a lover of character development and of well-founded relationships, you'll definitely find some resonance in The Song Of Peterloo. The ballads and poems in Dr Morgan’s collection were shared across Manchester and beyond, printed in the radical journals of the day, and shared as broadside ballads – words set to popular contemporary tunes, printed cheaply and sold on street corners and at fairs, pasted up in taverns and sung in bars and public houses. They were an attempt to preserve the memory of the event against the official government narrative, and also to inspire activists and campaigners to continue the struggle for fair voting. The novel is structured to powerful effect, the action well-paced, and the setting, early nineteenth century Manchester, is captured with vivid descriptions and authentic details which would surely have required painstaking research. A prolonged period at war combined with the agricultural and industrial revolutions were resulting in an anonymous, industrialised state where the demands of factory life created an urban poor. People were disaffected and disenfranchised. Manchester epitomised this fundamental change of life for the labouring classes. It had excellent transport links, a damp climate and local coal mines which created the ideal centre for the burgeoning cotton industry. However, conditions for workers were appalling. They were housed in slums and they saw wages slump in the recession following the end of the Napoleonic Wars. By 1819, in a city which exemplified the success of the Industrial Revolution, people were starving and there was not a single MP 2. The poor were seeking a voiceIt is purely awful the way people are treated and what they live through. Yet it shows how Manicians have such amazing inner strength and how they want to better themselves through this torrid time. Thank you Carolyn O’Brien for kindly sending me a copy of your beautiful novel. I loved it and it has made me even prouder to be an adopted Mancunian. Thank You! Watch a short video featuring performances of two of the ballads by folk trio Thrup’nny Bits and Dr Morgan discussing her research.