Typescript of a lecture given by Alan Bold entitled "Art and Action" , March 1965
Scope and Contents
Typescript containing the full text of a lecture entitled "Art and Action" given by Alan Bold to the Edinburgh Branch of the Young Communist League in March 1965. It starts as follows: "The function of art is the extension of human consciousness. That statement should satisfy anyone as to why he or she should bother themselves with art. But it won't, and that is why I am here tonight. I want to show you that art is as important in the struggle for communism as politics is, and that serious study of our heritage will do more good, and help you convince more people of the desirability of communism than writing slogans on walls or canvassing in Fife."
The typescript also includes a short biography of Alan Bold, a presentation of Rocket magazine founded by Alan Bold in 1965, and a Rocket subscription form.
Dates
- Creation: March 1965
Creator
- Bold, Alan Norman, 1943-1998 (poet, journalist, biographer) (Author, Person)
Language of Materials
English
Conditions Governing Access
Open. Please contact the repository in advance.
Biographical / Historical
Alan Bold (1943–1998) was a Scottish poet, journalist, and biographer born in Edinburgh. He studied at Broughton Secondary School, the alma mater of Hugh MacDiarmid, who greatly influenced his work. Bold first met MacDiarmid in 1963 while studying English Literature at the University of Edinburgh, later editing his Letters and writing an influencial biography of him. MacDiarmid also contributed a lengthy introduction to Bold’s debut collection, Society Inebrious, published in 1965 during Bold’s final year at university. This early success launched a prolific poetic career, with Bold publishing three more collections by the end of the 1960s, including The State of the Nation. In addition to poetry, he edited The Penguin Book of Socialist Verse (1970) and wrote a biography of Robert Burns in 1973.
Full Extent
1 typescript(s) : 16 pp.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Purchased in February 2024 along printed books and 10 issues of Rocket magazine, no. 2-11, 1964-1965. Accession no. SC-Acc-2024-0029.
Processing Information
Catalogued in April 2025 by Aline Brodin.
Subject
- Young Communist League of Britain (1923-:) (Organization)
Genre / Form
Topical
Repository Details
Part of the University of Edinburgh Library Heritage Collections Repository
Centre for Research Collections
University of Edinburgh Main Library
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Edinburgh EH8 9LJ Scotland
+44(0)131 650 8379
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