This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (October 2009)

Tatler has been the name of several British journals and magazines, each of which has viewed itself as the successor of the original literary and society journal founded by Richard Steele in 1709. The current incarnation, founded in 1901, is a glossy magazine published by Condé Nast Publications focusing on the glamorous lives and lifestyles of the upper class. A 300th anniversary party for the magazine was held in October 2009.^[1]

1709 journal[link]

Richard Steele

The original Tatler was founded in 1709 by Richard Steele, who used the nom de plume "Isaac Bickerstaff, Esquire", the first such consistently adopted journalistic persona,^[2] which adapted to the first person, as it were, the 17th-century genre of "characters", as first established in English by Sir Thomas Overbury and soon to be expanded by Lord Shaftesbury's Characteristics (1711). Steele's idea was to publish the news and gossip heard in London coffeehouses, hence the title, and seemingly, from the opening paragraph, to leave the subject of politics to the newspapers,^[3] while presenting Whiggish views and correcting middle-class manners, while instructing "these Gentlemen, for the most part being Persons of strong Zeal, and weak Intellects...what to think." To assure complete coverage of local gossip, a reporter was placed in each of the city's popular coffeehouses, or at least such were the datelines: accounts of manners and mores were datelined from White's; literary notes from Will's; notes of antiquarian interest were dated from the Grecian Coffee House; and news items from St. James’s Coffee House.

In its first incarnation, it was published three times a week. The original Tatler was published for only two years, from 12 April 1709 to 2 January 1711. A collected edition was published in 1710–11, with the title The Lucubrations of Isaac Bickerstaff, Esq.^[4] Two months after the final edition, Steele and Joseph Addison, another major contributor to Tatler, co-founded The Spectator magazine.

Contributors[link]

• Jonathan Swift
• Joseph Addison

Subsequent incarnations[link]

Several later journals revived the name Tatler.^[1] Three short series are preserved in the Burney Collection:^[5]

• Morphew, the original printer, continued to produce further issues in 1711 under the "Isaac Bickerstaffe" name from 4 January (No. 272) to 17 May (No. 330).
• A single issue (numbered 1) of a rival Tatler was published by Baldwin on 11 January 1711.
• In 1753–4, several issues by "William Bickerstaffe, nephew of the late Isaac Bickerstaffe" were published.

James Watson, who had previously reprinted the London Tatler in Edinburgh, began his own Tatler there on 13 January 1711, with "Donald Macstaff of the North" replacing Isaac Bickerstaffe.^[6]

Three months after the original Tatler was first published, an unknown woman writer using the pen name "Mrs. Crackenthorpe" published what was called the Female Tatler. Scholars from the 1960s to the 1990s thought the anonymous woman might have been Delarivier Manley, but she was subsequently ruled out as author and the woman remains unknown. However, its run was much shorter: the magazine ran for less than a year—from 8 July 1709 to 31 March 1710.^[7] The London Tatler^[8] and the Northern Tatler^[9] were later 18th-century imitations. The Tatler Reviv'd ran for 17 issues from October 1727 to January 1728; another publication of the same name had six issues in March 1750.^[10]

On 4 September 1830, Leigh Hunt launched The Tatler: A Daily Journal of Literature and the Stage. He edited it till 13 February 1832, and others continued it till 20 October 1832.^[11]

Modern magazine[link]

The current publication, named after Steele's periodical, was introduced on 3 July 1901 by Clement Shorter, publisher of The Sphere. For some time a weekly publication, it had a subtitle varying on "an illustrated journal of society and the drama" It contained news and pictures of high society balls, charity events, race meetings, shooting parties, fashion and gossip, with cartoons by "The Tout" and H. M. Bateman.

In 1940, it absorbed The Bystander. In 1961, Illustrated Newspapers, which published Tatler, The Sphere, and The Illustrated London News, was bought by Roy Thomson.^[12] In 1965, Tatler was rebranded London Life.^[13][14] In 1968, it was bought by Guy Wayte's Illustrated County Magazine group and the Tatler name restored.^[15] Wayte's group had a number of county magazines in the style of Tatler, each of which mixed the same syndicated content with county-specific local content.^[15] Wayte, "a moustachioed playboy of a conman"^[16] was convicted of fraud in 1980 for inflating the Tatler's circulation figures from 15,000 to 49,000.^[17]

The magazine was sold and relaunched as a monthly magazine in 1977, called Tatler & Bystander till 1982.^[14] Tina Brown, editor 1979–83, created a vibrant and youthful Tatler and is credited with putting the edge, the irony and the wit back into what was then an almost moribund social title. She referred to it as an upper class comic and by increasing its influence and circulation made it an interesting enough operation for the then owner, Gary Bogard, to sell to the Publishers Condé Nast. She was subsequently airlifted to New York to another Condé Nast title, Vanity Fair.

Several editors later and a looming recession and the magazine was once again ailing and Jane Procter was brought in to re-invent the title for the 1990s. With a sound appreciation of the times – the need for bite not bitch – plus intriguing, newsworthy and gently satirical content, she succeeded in making Tatler a glamorous must-read way beyond its previous social remit. The circulation tripled to over 90,000 – its highest ever figure, although this figure was exceeded five years later by Geordie Greig. The magazine created various supplements including The Travel and Restaurant Guides, the often referred to and closely watched Most Invited and The Little Black Book lists, and the hugely popular parties that accompanied them.

The Little Black Book[link]

One of Tatler's most talked about annual features is The Little Black Book. A shallow compilation of the 100 "most eligible" below-thirty-somethings in London. It is superficially made up of an assortment of heirs, aristocrats and European royalty.

Editors and contributors[link]

Past editors[link]

Past contributors[link]

• Isabella Blow – Contributing fashion editor-at-large
• Clare Milford Haven – Social editor
• Diana Mitford – commissioned to write a Letters from Paris section in the 1960s.
• Christina Broom – photographer

Present editors[link]

• Kate Reardon – Editor
• Gerri Gallagher – Associate Editor
• Christopher Whale – Art Director
• Lee Pears – Deputy Art Director
• Kate Chapple – Chief Sub-Editor
• Anna Bromilow – Fashion Director
• Olivia Falcon – Beauty Director
• "Isaac Bickerstaff" – Social Editor
• Nicola Formby – Chief Contributing Editor
• Dorrit Moussaieff – Contributing Editor
• Tom Wolfe – Contributing Editor
• Daisy Prince – Contributing Editor
• Jeremy Wayne – Restaurant Editor
• Tessa Dahl – Contributing Editor

Other editions[link]

There are also 14 Tatlers in Asia – Hong Kong Tatler (launched 1977), Singapore Tatler (1982), Malaysia Tatler (1989), Thailand Tatler (1991), Indonesia Tatler (2000), Philippine Tatler (2001), Beijing Tatler, Shanghai Tatler (both 2001), Macau Tatler, Taiwan Tatler (2008), Chongqing Tatler (2010), Jiangsu Tatler (2010), Sichuan Tatler (2010) and Zhejiang Tatler (2010). The Asian Tatlers are now owned by the Swiss-based Edipresse Group.

[edit] Unrelated Tatlers

Other magazines named Tatler have no connection to the London magazine or Condé Nast, although their content is a similar mix of fashion and local high-society news.

The Irish Tatler was founded by H. Crawford Hartnell in 1890 as The Lady of the House,^[31] and later renamed Irish Sketch and Irish Tatler and Sketch.^[32] Noelle Campbell Sharp renamed it IT in 1979.^[33] She sold it to Robert Maxwell in 1989; Smurfit publications bought it after Maxwell's death. It is now Irish Tatler.^[32]

Ulster Tatler has been published in Belfast since 1966.

The New York Tatler Social Digest merged in 1929 with the American Sketch to give Tatler and American Sketch.^[34] John S. Schem closed the magazine in 1933 after legal trouble arising from its grading of New York débutantes, on a scale running "A", "B", "C", "D", and "E–Z".^[35]

The Tatler is the name of the print and online newspaper for Lloyd Memorial High School in Erlanger, Kentucky.^[36]

References[link]

Further reading[link]

• "The Story of Tatler: A 300-year frolic through Tatler's history, from coffee-house tri-weekly to glossy monthly". Tatler: 71–114. November 2009. 

External links[link]

• Official website
• Tatler Russia Official Site
• The Tatler and The Guardian
• The Tatler, Vol. 1 at Project Gutenberg (An 1899 reprint of the first 49 Issues of the 1709 Tatler)

Miranda Katharine Hart Dyke (born 14 December 1972), known professionally as Miranda Hart,^[3] is an English actress, writer and stand-up comedienne. She writes and stars in the BBC sitcom Miranda. She also appeared in French and Saunders, the BBC television series Hyperdrive and her semi-autobiographical sitcom Miranda Hart's Joke Shop on BBC Radio 2. In 2012, she began appearing in the BBC drama Call the Midwife as "Chummy Browne".

Early life[link]

Born in Torquay, Devon, to Royal Navy officer David Hart Dyke and Diana Margaret Luce, Hart grew up in Petersfield, Hampshire. She was educated at Downe House, Berkshire^[4], an independent girls' boarding school, where she was a contemporary and friend of the sports presenter Clare Balding, who was head girl.^[5] She graduated with a 2:1 degree in political science from the University of the West of England, followed by training at the Academy of Live and Recorded Arts. Despite reading Politics at University, she always wanted to be a comedienne. In 2002, she did a solo show in Edinburgh, and in 2004 she pitched a comedy show to the BBC. At her read-through for BBC executives, Jennifer Saunders was there, laughing throughout.^[6]

While appearing on Frank Skinner's Opinionated in 2010, she stated that she was from an aristocratic background, but hated saying that and did not consider herself upper-class.^[7] Hart added that her family tree can be traced back to the 12th century, and that her aunt and uncle live in a castle which they cannot afford to run.

Live performance[link]

Avoiding the normal stand-up circuit for more character-based comedy, including an appearance in the Edinburgh and touring show The Sitcom Trials, Hart has written her own theatre material for the Edinburgh Fringe. Her one-woman shows include Miranda Hart – Throbs, It's All About Me and Miranda Hart's House Party. She also performed in Alecky Blythe's 2006 play Cruising at the Bush Theatre. In 2010 she and six other TV celebrities raised over £1 million for the charity Sport Relief by cycling from John O'Groats to Land's End.^[8] Miranda also presented part of Sport Relief 2012 which ended in David Walliams dancing semi naked with her to Abba's Dancing Queen^[9].

Television and film[link]

Hart starred as "Teal" in two series of the BBC television comedy sci-fi series Hyperdrive, which ran from January 2006 to August 2007. She has also appeared in French & Saunders, My Family and Other Animals, Nighty Night, Absolutely Fabulous where she played a 'Japanese' woman called Yoko, The Vicar of Dibley, Lead Balloon, William and Mary, Smack the Pony (for which she wrote and performed in a couple of sketches and a number of video diaries), Not Going Out and Stupid! She appeared in the third series of Comic Relief does Fame Academy in 2007, and became the second contestant to be voted off the show.^[10] In 2009, she appeared in the last ever sketch from French and Saunders, also in aid of Comic Relief.

Hart appeared in a short film by Tim Plester World of Wrestling in which she played "Klondyke Kate", a wrestler billed as 'hell in boots'. The film was released in late 2007 alongside its companion shorts Blakes Junction 7 and Ant Muzak.

In 2006, she appeared with Lee Mack in an episode of Not Going Out as an acupuncturist. Her performance impressed the producers so much that they wrote a regular role for her in the next series as "Barbara", a clumsy cleaner; a part she continued to play until 2009. However, due to a busy filming schedule, the character did not return for the fourth series, aired in 2011.^[11]

In 2007 Miranda played the part of "Shelley" a Mini Cab Driver in Channel 5 Comedy Angelos which ran for 6 episodes

In 2008, she recorded the pilot episode of Miranda for BBC Two. The sitcom is based on her semi-autobiographical writing which went on to become a radio series, Miranda Hart's Joke Shop on BBC Radio 2. On 9 November 2009 Miranda, nominated "one of the top 10 forthcoming TV shows for Autumn 2009" by The Sunday Times,^[12] began transmission on BBC Two.^[13] She appeared as guest host of Have I Got News for You in October 2009, and again in December 2011. She also presented a BBC spoof programme looking back over 2009 called 2009 Unwrapped with Miranda Hart. A similar show looking back over 2010 was also broadcast in December 2010.

Hart has also appeared twice on Strictly Come Dancing:It Takes Two. She is a fan of the series Strictly Come Dancing.

Miranda Hart has appeared in the TV series Monday Monday starring Fay Ripley: Miranda played the role of "Tall Karen". She appeared in a T.V. advert for Alpen.

In the final quarter of 2009, Heather Small's back catalogue sales increased by 73% as a result of frequent references to her hit single "Proud" in Miranda'.

In 2010 she appeared in the final of Old Dears Club as snooty receptionist "Beverly Gates".

The second series of Miranda began on BBC2 in November 2010. The series ended with a viewing high of 4.1m and was recommissioned by the BBC for another two series to air in 2011 and 2012. Hart was described in the FT as "the most original and farcically hilarious female clown since Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders".^[14] In February 2011 the BBC announced that the sitcom would move to BBC One for its third series.^[15][16] The first two series of Miranda were repeated on BBC One in Summer 2011.

A Miranda mini-episode set in the world of Pineapple Dance Studios was filmed and broadcast on 18 March as part of Comic Relief. Miranda Hart also took part in a Red Nose Day edition of MasterChef, which she won. Also for Comic Relief 2011, Hart starred as a judge for the finale of Let's Dance for Comic Relief, alongside Rufus Hound and Louie Spence. She also gave a signed Miranda script to be auctioned in aid of Comic Relief. On Boxing Day 2011, she appeared in an episode of Bear Grylls' Wild Weekend. The following day, 27 December, she was a team member on Big Fat Quiz 2011, a quiz about the events of that year presented by Jimmy Carr, appearing alongside David Walliams (team blue). The other two teams being David Mitchell and Eddie Izzard (team purple) and Jonathan Ross and Jamie Oliver (team red).

Hart has appeared as a guest panelist on series two and series three of the BBC fundraising show Let's Dance for Comic Relief in 2010 and 2011. She has appeared alongside other guest judges including Louie Spence and Kelly Brook.

In 2012, Hart began to appear in the BBC One drama, Call the Midwife,^[17] playing the character of "Camilla 'Chummy' Fortescue-Cholmeley-Browne".

Awards[link]

In 2010 she won the Best Comedy Performance award from the Royal Television Society for her performance in Miranda,^[18] and was also nominated for best comedy writing.^[19] She and Patricia Hodge were both nominated for "Best Comedy Actress" awards at the Monte-Carlo TV Festival 2010.^[20]

In 2011 she won^[21] "Best Comedy Actress" and "People’s Choice Award For The King Or Queen Of Comedy" in the British Comedy Awards 2011, where Miranda also won "Best New British TV Comedy" and was nominated for "Best Sitcom".^[22]

In 2011 she was nominated for a BAFTA for Best Actress in a comedy role and her hit BBC Two sitcom Miranda was nominated for the BAFTA YouTube choice award, the only award voted for by the public.

Radio[link]

Her semi-autobiographical series Miranda Hart's Joke Shop was aired on BBC Radio 2 in 2008, and went on from there to be developed into the television series Miranda. Hart has also presented comedy specials for the network alongside Jon Holmes.^[23] In October 2011 she attracted criticism after co-hosting the Chris Evans Breakfast Show with Holmes while Chris Evans was on holiday. The website Digital Spy reported that some listeners were unhappy with the quality of the programme. The BBC issued a statement in response saying, "Miranda Hart is one of the UK's best-loved comedians and BBC Radio 2 felt it appropriate to bring her warmth to its audience for a week. Jon Holmes is a highly experienced presenter from BBC Radio 6 Music [...] BBC Radio 2 appreciates if their presentation wasn't to everyone's liking, but feels it's important to be able to bring new talent to its output and hopes its audience understands the importance of maintaining a breadth of content on the network."^[24]

Personal life and family[link]

Hart lives in Hammersmith, west London.

Hart's father is retired Royal Navy officer Captain David Hart Dyke CBE LVO RN who was commanding officer of HMS Coventry when it was sunk by the Argentinians in the 1982 Falklands conflict, as a result of which he was badly burned trying to escape the stricken warship. His later career saw him serving as Aide-de-Camp to Queen Elizabeth II, 1988-9. He retired from active naval service in 1990 with the rank of Captain (OF-5). He used his transcripts to write a book chronicling the events surrounding Coventry's sinking. The work, published in 2007, is titled Four Weeks in May: The Loss of HMS Coventry A Captain's Story.^[25] The book formed the basis for BBC2 documentary, Sea of Fire, first shown on BBC2 on 1 June 2007.^[26][27]

Her mother, Diana Margaret, is the daughter of Sir William Luce GBE KCMG (1907–1977), who was the British Governor and Commander-in-Chief of Aden, 1956-60.^[7]

Hart's uncle is The Rt Hon The Lord Luce KG GCVO DL, a former Conservative MP and Minister, later HM Governor and Commander in Chief of Gibraltar (1997–2000) and Lord Chamberlain of the Royal Household, 2000-2006.

On her mother's side, her great-grandfather was Vice Admiral Sir Trevylyan Napier KCB MVO, who was the Commander-in-Chief, America and West Indies Station (1919–1920), while her great-great-grandfather was Sir Michael Culme-Seymour, 3rd Baronet, who was the Vice-Admiral of the United Kingdom (1901–1920).

Her great-uncle and the brother of her maternal grandfather was Admiral Sir David Luce GCB DSO (with Bar) OBE, who served as First Sea Lord.

Her great-great-uncle was Major-General Sir Richard Harman Luce KCMG CB, who served as Member of Parliament for Derby from 1924-1929.

Hart's patrilineal great-great-great-great-grandfather was Sir Percival Hart Dyke, 5th Baronet (1767-1846) whilst her distant cousin, the 10th and present baronet, Sir David Hart Dyke^[28] lives in Canada. Hart's 1st cousin is modern-day plant hunter Tom Hart Dyke. She has a sister, Alice Louisa Hart Dyke (born 1975).

In her early twenties, Hart had an unsuccessful trial at Queens Park Rangers Ladies. This, she revealed during Would I Lie to You.^[29]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Miranda Hart at the Internet Movie Database
• Miranda Hart's official website
• Miranda Hart on Twitter
• Miranda Hart's agent
• Miranda Hart interview recorded at BAFTA London – June 2011
• www.burkespeerage.com

Billy Bragg
Bragg at a protest calling for electoral reform in 2010
Background information
Birth name	Stephen William Bragg
Born	(1957-12-20) 20 December 1957 (age 54) Barking, Essex, England
Genres	Folk punk,[1] folk rock, alternative rock
Instruments	Vocals, guitar
Years active	1977–present
Associated acts	The Blokes Riff-Raff Wilco
Website	billybragg.co.uk

Stephen William Bragg (born 20 December 1957) – known as Billy Bragg – is an English alternative rock musician and left-wing activist.^[2][3] His music blends elements of folk music, punk rock and protest songs, and his lyrics mostly deal with political or romantic themes. His music career has lasted more than 30 years.

Early life[link]

Bragg was born in 1957 in Barking, Essex,^[4] the son of Dennis Frederick Austin Bragg, an assistant sales manager to a Barking cap and hat maker, and his wife, Marie Victoria D'Urso.^[5] Bragg was educated at Barking Abbey Secondary School in Barking.^[6]

Career[link]

In 1977, Bragg formed the punk rock/pub rock band Riff Raff, and toured London's pubs and clubs. The band released a series of singles, which did not receive wide exposure. He also worked in Guy Norris Records in Barking. Bragg became disillusioned with his music career, and in May 1981 joined the British Army as a recruit destined for the Queen's Royal Irish Hussars of the Royal Armoured Corps. After three months, he bought his way out of the army for £175 and returned home, having attended basic training but having never served in a regiment as a soldier.^[7]

Bragg began performing frequent concerts and busking around London, playing solo with an electric guitar. His roadie at the time was Andy Kershaw, who became a BBC DJ (Bragg and Kershaw later, in 1989, appeared in an episode of the BBC TV programme, Great Journeys, in which they travelled the Silver Road from Potosí, Bolivia, to the Pacific coast at Arica, Chile).^[8]

Bragg performing at South by Southwest in 2008

Bragg's demo tape initially got no response from the record industry, but by pretending to be a television repair man, he got into the office of Charisma Records' A&R man Peter Jenner.^[9] Jenner liked the tape, but the company was near bankruptcy and had no budget to sign new artists. Bragg got an offer to record more demos for a music publisher, so Jenner agreed to release them as a record. Life's a Riot with Spy Vs. Spy was released in July 1983 by Charisma's new imprint, Utility. Hearing DJ John Peel mention on-air that he was hungry, Bragg rushed to the BBC with a mushroom biryani, so Peel played a song from Life's a Riot with Spy Vs. Spy although at the wrong speed (since the 12" LP was, unconventionally, cut to play at 45rpm).^[9] Peel insisted he would have played the song even without the biryani and later played it at the correct speed.

Within months, Charisma had been taken over by Virgin Records and Jenner, who had been laid off, became Bragg's manager. Stiff Records' press officer Andy Macdonald – who was setting up his own record label, Go! Discs – received a copy of Life's a Riot with Spy Vs. Spy. He made Virgin an offer and the album was re-released on Go! Discs in November 1983.^{[citation needed]} In 1984, he released Brewing Up with Billy Bragg, a mixture of political songs (e.g., "It Says Here") and songs of unrequited love (e.g., "The Saturday Boy"). The following year he released Between the Wars, an EP of political songs that included a cover version of Leon Rosselson's "The World Turned Upside Down" – the EP made the top 20 of the UK Singles Chart and earned Bragg an appearance on Top of the Pops. Bragg later collaborated with Rosselson on the song, "Ballad of the Spycatcher". In 1985, his song "A New England", with an additional verse, became a Top 10 hit in the UK for Kirsty MacColl. After MacColl's early death, Bragg always sang the extra verse in her honour. In 1984–1985 he toured North America.

In 1986, Bragg released Talking with the Taxman about Poetry, which became his first Top 10 album. Its title is taken from a poem by Vladimir Mayakovsky and a translated version of the poem was printed on the record's inner sleeve. Back to Basics is a 1987 collection of his first three releases: Life's A Riot With Spy Vs. Spy, Brewing Up with Billy Bragg, and the Between The Wars EP. Bragg released his fourth album, Workers Playtime, in September 1988. With this album, Bragg added a backing band and accompaniment.

In May 1990, Bragg released the political mini-LP, The Internationale. The songs were, in part, a return to his solo guitar style, but some songs featured more complicated arrangements and included a brass band. The album paid tribute to one of Bragg's influences with the song, "I Dreamed I Saw Phil Ochs Last Night", which is an adapted version of Earl Robinson's song, "I Dreamed I Saw Joe Hill Last Night", itself an adaptation of a poem by Alfred Hayes.^{[citation needed]}

Performing with The Imagined Village at Camp Bestival, 20 July 2008

The album Don't Try This at Home was released in September 1991, and included the song, "Sexuality", which reached the UK Singles Chart. Bragg had been persuaded by Go! Discs' Andy and Juliet Macdonald to sign a four-album deal with a million pound advance, and a promise to promote the album with singles and videos.^{[citation needed]} This gamble was not rewarded with extra sales, and the situation put the company in financial difficulty. In exchange for ending the contract early and repaying a large amount of the advance, Bragg regained all rights to his back catalogue.^{[citation needed]} Bragg continued to promote the album with his backing band, The Red Stars, which included his Riff Raff colleague and long-time roadie, Wiggy.

Bragg released the album William Bloke in 1996 after taking time off to help raise his son. Around that time, Nora Guthrie (daughter of American folk artist Woody Guthrie) asked Bragg to set some of her father's unrecorded lyrics to music. The result was a collaboration with the band Wilco and Natalie Merchant (with whom Bragg had worked previously). They released the album Mermaid Avenue in 1998, and Mermaid Avenue Vol. II in 2000. A rift with Wilco over mixing and sequencing the album led to Bragg recruiting his own band, The Blokes, to promote the album. The Blokes included keyboardist Ian McLagan, who had been a member of Bragg's boyhood heroes The Faces. The documentary film Man in the Sand depicts the roles of Nora Guthrie, Bragg, and Wilco in the creation of the Mermaid Avenue albums.

In 2004, Bragg joined Florida ska-punk band Less Than Jake to perform a version of 'The Brightest Bulb Has Burned Out' for the Rock Against Bush compilation.

At the 2005 Beautiful Days Festival in Devon, Bragg teamed up with the Levellers to perform a short set of songs by or associated with The Clash in celebration of Joe Strummer's birthday. Bragg performed guitar and lead vocals on "Police and Thieves", and performed guitar and backing vocals on "English Civil War", and "Police on my Back".

In 2007, Bragg moved closer to his English folk music roots by joining the WOMAD-inspired collective The Imagined Village, who recorded an album of updated versions of traditional English songs and dances and toured through that autumn. Bragg released his album Mr. Love & Justice in March 2008.^[10] This was the second Bragg album to be named after a book by Colin MacInnes. In 2008, during the NME Awards ceremony, Bragg sang a duet with British solo act Kate Nash. They mixed up their two greatest hits, Nash playing "Foundations", and Bragg redoing his "A New England".^[11] Bragg also collaborated with the poet and playwright, Patrick Jones, who supported Bragg's Tour.

In 2008, Bragg played a small role in Stuart Bamforth's film "A13: Road Movie".^[12] Bragg is featured alongside union reps, vicars, burger van chefs and Members of Parliament^[12] in a film that explored "the overlooked, the hidden and the disregarded."^[12]

He was involved in the play Pressure Drop at the Wellcome Collection in London in April and May 2010. The production, written by Mick Gorden, and billed as "part play, part gig, part installation", featured new songs by Bragg. He performed during the play with his band, and acted as compere.^[13]

Bragg curated the Leftfield stage at Glastonbury Festival 2010.^[14]

He will also be partaking in the Bush Theatre's 2011 project Sixty Six where he has written a piece based upon a chapter of the King James Bible.^[15]

Politics[link]

Bragg has been involved with grassroots, broadly leftist, political movements,^[3] and this is often reflected in his lyrics. Bragg has recorded and performed cover versions of famous socialist anthems The Internationale and The Red Flag. Bragg said in an interview: "My theory is this; I'm not a political songwriter. I'm an honest songwriter. I try and write honestly about what I see around me now."^[16] In another interview, Bragg said: "I don't mind being labelled a political songwriter. The thing that troubles me is being dismissed as a political songwriter."^[17] In an interview with Bullz-Eye, Bragg said:

I would then say that I am Mr. Love and Justice, and to check out the love songs. That’s how I capture people. People do say to me, “I love your songs, but I just can’t stand your politics.” And I say, “Well, Republicans are always welcome. Come on over!” I would hate to stand at the door, saying to people, “Do you agree with these positions? If not, you can’t come in.”^[18]

Bragg expressed support for the 1984 miners' strike, and the following year he formed the musicians' alliance Red Wedge, which promoted the Labour Party and discouraged young people from voting for the Conservative Party in the 1987 general election. Following the defeat of the Labour Party and the repeated victory of Margaret Thatcher and her Conservative government, Bragg joined Charter88 to push for a reform of the British political system.

Also during the 1980s, Bragg travelled to the Soviet Union a few times, after Mikhail Gorbachev had started to promote the policies of perestroika and glasnost. During one trip, he was accompanied by MTV, and during another trip he was filmed for the 1998 mini-documentary Mr Bragg Goes to Moscow, by Hannu Puttonen.

On TV series After Dark in 1987

On 12 June 1987, the night after the UK General Election, he appeared on a memorable edition of After Dark. In 1999, Bragg appeared before a commission that debated possible reform of the House of Lords.^[19]

During the 2001 UK general election, Bragg attempted to combat voter apathy by promoting tactical voting in an attempt to unseat Conservative Party candidates in Dorset, particularly in South Dorset and West Dorset.

Bragg has developed an interest in English national identity, apparent in his 2002 album England, Half-English and his 2006 book The Progressive Patriot. The book expressed his view that English socialists can reclaim patriotism from the right wing. He draws on Victorian poet Rudyard Kipling for an inclusive sense of Englishness.^[20] Bragg has participated in a series of debates with members of the Socialist Workers Party who disagree with his argument. Bragg also supports Scottish independence and Welsh independence.^[21]

Supporting a demonstration against police misuse of anti-terrorism legislation; Trafalgar Square, London, 23 January 2010

Bragg has been an outspoken opponent of fascism, racism, bigotry, sexism and homophobia, and is a supporter of a multi-racial Britain. As a result, Bragg has come under attack from far right groups such as the British National Party. In a 2004 The Guardian article, Bragg was quoted as saying:

The British National Party would probably make it into a parliament elected by proportional representation, too. It would shine a torch into the dirty little corner where the BNP defecate on our democracy, and that would be much more powerful than duffing them up in the street – which I'm also in favour of.^[22]

Also in 2004, Bragg collaborated with American ska punk band Less Than Jake to record a song for the Rock Against Bush compilation album.

During the 2005 general election campaign in the Bethnal Green and Bow constituency, Bragg supported Oona King, the Labour Party's pro-Iraq war candidate, over George Galloway, the anti-war Respect Party's candidate, due to a belief that splitting the left-wing vote would allow the Conservatives to win the seat.^[23] Galloway overturned King's 10,000-strong majority to become his party's only MP.^[24]

In March 2006, journalist Garry Bushell (a former Trotskyist who ran as a candidate for the English Democrats in 2005) accused Bragg of "pontificating on a South London council estate when we all know he lives in a lovely big house in West Dorset".^[25]

In January 2010, Bragg announced that he would withhold his income tax as a protest against the Royal Bank of Scotland's plan to pay bonuses of approximately of £1.5 billion to staff in its investment banking business. Bragg set up a Facebook group, made appearances on radio and television news programmes, and made speech at Speakers' Corner in London's Hyde Park. Bragg said, “Millions are already facing stark choices: are they willing to work longer hours for less money, or would they rather be unemployed? I don’t see why the bankers at RBS shouldn’t be asked the same.”^[26]

On the eve of the 2010 general election, Bragg announced that he would be voting for the Liberal Democrats because "they've got the best manifesto".^[27] He also backed the Lib Dems for tactical voting reasons. Bragg later expressed disappointment with the party, stating that "the Lib Dems had failed democracy ".^[28]

Bragg was also very active in his hometown of Barking as part of Searchlight's magazine's Hope not Hate campaign, where the BNP's leader Nick Griffin was standing for election. At one point during the campaign Bragg squared up to BNP London Assembly Member Richard Barnbrook, calling him a "Fascist racist" and saying "when you're gone from this borough, we will rebuild this community". The BNP came third on election day.^[29]

Bragg is a board director and key spokesman for the Featured Artists Coalition, a body representing the rights of recording artists. Bragg founded the organisation Jail Guitar Doors, which supplies instruments to prisoners to encourage them to address problems in a non-confrontational way.^[30]

Bragg is a regular at the Tolpuddle Martyrs' Festival, an annual event celebrating the memory of those transported to Australia for founding a union in the 1830s.^[31]

In January 2011, news sources reported that 20 to 30 residents of Bragg's Dorset hometown, Burton Bradstock, had received anonymous letters viciously attacking Bragg and his politics, and urging residents to oppose him in the village. Bragg claimed that a BNP supporter was behind the letters, which argued that Bragg is a hypocrite for advocating socialism while living a wealthy lifestyle, and referred to him as anti-British and pro-immigration.^[32]

In July 2011 Billy joined the growing protests over the News of the World phone hacking affair with the recording of "Never Buy the Sun" which references many of the scandals key points including the Milly Dowler case, police bribes and associated political fallout. It also draws on the 22 year Liverpool boycott of The Sun for their coverage of the Hillsborough Disaster.^[33]

In 2011 Bragg joined the Occupy Movement Protests.

Personal life[link]

Billy lives in Burton Bradstock, Dorset with his wife Juliet and son Jack.^[34] He is a supporter of West Ham United.

Discography[link]

References[link]

Further reading[link]

• Andrew Collins (2007). Still Suitable for Miners: Billy Bragg (revised and updated ed.). London: Virgin Books. ISBN 978-0-7535-1245-6. 
• Billy Bragg, The Progressive Patriot: A Search for Belonging (London: Bantam Press, 2006) ISBN 978-0-593-05343-0
• Billy Bragg, How we all lost when Thatcher won – Thatcher's victory over the miners led directly to this economic crisis. The Guardian, 5 March 2009

External links[link]

Wikisource has original works written by or about: Billy Bragg

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Billy Bragg

• Official website
• Braggtopia
• Billy Bragg collection at the Internet Archive's live music archive
• Billy Bragg's Big Busk At Lincoln Center 27 July 2011