Raymond Williams

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Raymond Williams
Raymond Williams at Saffron Walden
Born
Raymond Henry Williams

31 August 1921
Died26 January 1988(1988-01-26) (aged 66)
Era20th-century philosophy
RegionWestern philosophy
SchoolWestern Marxism
Notable ideas
Cultural materialism

Raymond Henry Williams (31 August 1921 – 26 January 1988) was a Welsh academic, novelist and critic.

He was an important person in the New Left movement and in wider culture. His writings on politics, culture, the mass media and literature are a significant contribution to the Marxist critique of culture and the arts.

Some 750,000 copies of his books have sold in UK editions alone[1] and there are many translations available. His work laid the foundations for the field of cultural studies and the cultural materialist approach.

References[change | change source]

  1. Politics and Letters: Interviews with New Left Review

Further reading[change | change source]

  • Pinkney, Tony, editor. Raymond Williams. Bridgend, Mid Glamorgan, England: Seren Books, 1991.
  • Politics and Letters (London, New Left Books, 1979) gives the author's own account of his life and work
  • Smith, Dai. Raymond Williams: A Warrior's Tale. Cardigan: Parthian, 2008.
  • Stevenson, Nick. Culture, Ideology, and Socialism: Raymond Williams and E.P. Thompson. Aldershot, England: Avebury, 1995.
  • Tredell, Nicolas. Uncancelled Challenge: the work of Raymond Williams. Nottingham: Paupers' Press, 1990. ISBN 0-946650-16-0
  • Ward, J. P. Raymond Williams in the Writers of Wales series. University of Wales Press, 1981.
  • Williams, Daniel, editor. Who Speaks for Wales?: Nation, Culture, Identity, Cardiff: University of Wales Press, 2003.

Other websites[change | change source]