The Anti-Austerity Anthology

by The Anti-Austerity Collective, Steve Topple (Foreword), Rupert Dreyfus (Editor)

All proceeds from this book will be donated to food bank charities.

The Anti-Austerity Anthology confronts the draconian nature of modern austerity head-on. This powerful collection of short stories, poems and essays is brought to you by some of the indie author scene’s most talented and radical writers. Thoughtful, funny, tragic, angry, and filled with hope, each contributor uses their craft to speak out against the damning, ideologically-driven measures that are inflicted upon society.

As journalist and activist Steve Topple says in the foreword: “The rich are slowly eradicating the poor, creating a dystopian vision of society once often imagined in science fiction.” We can’t allow that to continue, so join the cause. The time for change is now.

Genres: Poetry, Short Stories, Fiction, Politics

280 pages, Paperback

Published August 26, 2018

Reviews

[Harry Whitewolf · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's for charity innit, so get yer mitts on a copy now.

Read my blog post about this book I co-edited and contributed to here: https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog...

Check out an article about the book in The Canary here: https://www.thecanary.co/feature/2018...

And see Steve Topple talking to none other than George Galloway about the anthology here (26 minutes in): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q08JL...

[Alison · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just knew this would be a one-dayer - all my favourite indie authors in one book. Perfect!

A really entertaining, and true, collection of short stories, poems, and witticisms, addressing the major issues many (ordinary) people in Britain (and further afield) are facing every day due to the enforcement of austerity by governments who are only interested in looking after themselves and those like them ie the rich and powerful. Not only do the collective tell of the harsh realities of being dragged down in the dumps of the system, they also point out the harsh reality that we all (the humble working class who are doing their best) are potentially one step away from entering into the benefits zone too through no fault of our own.

A must read for everyone, and a must buy for your moral conscience since all proceeds are donated to food bank charities. Plus hopefully these contributing authors will pique some interest to audiences who want to read more of their work - which I highly recommend they do.

Go on, you won't regret it!

[Rupert Dreyfus · Rating 5 out of 5]

All money raised from this book will go to food bank charities.

Here is my blog with some info:

https://rupertdreyfus.wordpress.com/2...

Please support and spread the word.

Many thanks.

[Tracy Reilly · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was quite surprising in its variety, considering you would expect a need for narrowness with such a specific subject. But, that just shows the quality of the writing/writers. Standouts for me were Mary Papastavrou's dystopian future tale "Maria Jumps", Chris Harrison's "The Bet", and Mike Robbins' thoughtful essay on the connection between the bullying culture of the famed universities--I have long thought the value of these schools is overstated-- and our present austere and mean-spirited public policies around the globe. Brilliant observation, Mike! Also loved Rupert and Harry's darkly funny stories, always a good read! And I have already praised Rebecca Gransden and Leo X's work elsewhere and their contributions are up to the usual high standards. And the poems and adverts for mad vacancies!!

Even though this book has lots of funny moments, it was rather dismaying to realize how pervasive this grinding culture is (I thought just 'Merica had this awful and selfish pov on the 99%), and we really do need to drive these criminal bastards out of the positions of power to save ourselves. Here's hoping this is the nadir we're at, and the more exposure ordinary guys like these writers give to what greed hath wrought, the better! I hope this book sells a million copies!!

[Leo Robertson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pleased to see that this book has done so well—and now that I managed to read it, I can see why!

This is a powerful anthology which spans a surprising range of styles across its poems, short stories and central essay from Mike Robbins.

It’s heavy reading matter, as well it should be—but the material is gripping, highly creative and so very varied. Pointless to pick favourites, though Harry Whitewolf’s “Word Tax” (could have been a novel in itself!) and Rebecca Gransden’s pieces—one surreal and one all too real—stick in my mind most, thinking back. (I have a piece in there myself I should point out, I guess? IDK.) Satirical advertisements by Jay Spencer Green were rich with his Heller-esque fatalistic humour.

Anyway, all money raised goes to food bank charities. So get involved!

[Kevin Berg · Rating 5 out of 5]

This anthology keeps me awake.

It is thoughtful. It is frustrated. It is funny. It is angry. It is intelligent. It is inspirational. It is heartbreaking. It is real.

A terrific foreword starts this thing off, giving you a little history and perfectly preparing you for the ton of talent that follows. I thought the editors did really well with the arrangement: alternating poems and stories, lacing it all with the very funny "Green's Vacuous Vacancies," splitting it with the bullying article by Mike Robbins that will punch you in the gut, then picking up speed and laughs on the downhill until you reach the end. It may not be an entirely pleasant experience, but it’s not meant to be. It's a lot of really skilled people giving their all to entertain you, but also to keep you thinking. Many of the pieces will stick with you, this anthology delivers something for everyone. I came into it knowing a handful of names, but now I have plenty more to read moving forward. Very good job to everyone involved.

Seriously, I've slept like shit the past couple nights, but it's a good thing. No matter where you are, no matter your status or history or affiliation or sleep number, there is something for you in here. Something that will keep going long after you've finished reading. Please pick one up. It’s a couple bucks to charity, and it’s much more than that. It’s listening and recognizing the problems that face us, then leaving to fight the battle more informed. Thanks for looking.

[Jason · Rating 5 out of 5]

It has finally arrived, a collection of poetry, essays and short stories by the greatest Indie authors around. So many of these writers are in my favourite authors list and to see them all together in one book is fantastic. The subject matter is about the dire situation in the UK with the treatment of the poor, disabled and homeless, more and more people are crossing over that line of being able to survive, or being forced to work when they are unable to. It is also about our "no shits given" government and how their rules and sanctions are designed to destroy lives. Unless you are a rich/tory twat then the contents of this book will be guaranteed to make you spiral into a depression or maybe make you go around randomly punching things.

Bradford Middleton kicks things off with a couple of very good poems before Riya Anne Polcastro blows you away with a cracking story, she is so talented to get a reader so emotionally involved is so few pages and to leave the reader seeing red at the injustice of it all. Mike Robbins gives us a fantastic essay on the state of things in the UK, why this guy isn't doing Ted talks is beyond me, his way of getting facts across makes it so easy to read. M. J. Black gives the reader some more poetry, it has been so long since I've seen any work by him, great to see him in print again. My favourite short story has to be the one by Rupert Dreyfus, he has such a cocky swagger to his writing and he always puts little links to his other work and it is great when you spot one. There are no weaknesses in this book, and Jay Spencer Green does a great job with some funny job adverts splitting up the short stories.

All money made from this book is being donated to food bank charities so please go and buy yourself a copy.

Blog review: https://felcherman.wordpress.com/2019...

[Casey Kiser · Rating 5 out of 5]

'…to kill yourself, press the star key.'
from 'Bullying Britain: the roots of austerity?' -Mike Robbins
I was overwhelmed with how well this was put together and the information and stories were so well-written and woven. And of course, the poetry really packed all the punches. I felt the right artists were definitely involved with this collection. I especially enjoyed the punk voices of M.J. Black and Andy Carrington, Ford Dagenham, Rupert Dreyfus and Harry Whitewolf. I will be proudly sharing this masterpiece. I discovered some fantastic indie writers that I had not read yet and who uniquely know how to shake the reader to their core. It was a lot to soak up so I have to come back to it and read it again when I have the time it deserves. 'The deficit is your defence./ Our demise makes economic sense.' from 'Dear Tory Government' by Ruth F. Hunt 'I'm anti-monarchy but my taxes are spent on protecting the Queen.' -from 'Mad Tax' by Harry Whitewolf . What an amazing book for charity!!! Simply wonderful job on this!

[Jack Stark · Rating 4 out of 5]

You can read my more in depth review of this on my blog - Random Melon Reads!

An excellent collection of stories, poems and articles shining a light on the current issue of austerity. A couple of these pieces felt a little bit like preaching to the converted and a number of these stories do present with an angry mood to them, particularly the poetry ones. I wouldn’t normally enjoy that, but, it is OK to be angry at the current situation and so I was able to go with it. The book as a whole does a really good job of not only showing the current political situation, but also the devastating effects it has on people’s lives. It really gets the message across that for the many, austerity doesn’t mean having a few less coffees a week. It means unemployment, homelessness, depression, and death.

All proceeds from this book will be donated to food bank charities. I used to work at a service that issued food bank vouchers, and let me tell you, they are literally saving people’s lives right now. So you can not only buy this book and enjoy the excellent pieces within, but also have that warm fuzzy glow of knowing you did something for the greater good.

Anyway, I’m off to burn all brown envelopes in my house. Until next time, Peace and Love!

Random Melon Reads - Blog | Twitter

[Ruth Hunt · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have a story segment and two poems in this collection, but I am so impressed with the calibre of all the other writers, the strength of their message and deep compassion.
All proceeeds go to Foodbanks, so a great way to support those in need.

[Casey Dorman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Concern about rising national debts throughout Europe and the UK since the 2008-9 recession, have led to so-called “austerity programs” in many countries. The dual approaches to austerity have been to raise taxes and to lower government spending, although, in the United States then-president Obama’s response to the recession was a series of “stimulus packages,” which involved injecting government money into the economy to counteract unemployment and business failure. Almost uniformly, the austerity programs have hurt those most vulnerable in the societies in which they were implemented. Depending upon the country, government worker pay, mental health expenditures, unemployment programs, pensions, and most social programs have been cut to reduce spending. Increases in homelessness, poverty rates, unemployment and even death rates have been seen in vulnerable populations.
The Anti-Austerity Anthology, a collection of (mostly) British short stories, poems, and essays published by the Anti-Austerity Collective, which donated the proceeds from the book to food-bank charities, represents a literary response to austerity programs.
Rather than an exposé of the political and economic bases of the recession and the programs designed to combat it, which is well-covered in the Foreword by Steve Topple and an essay by Mike Robbins, the contents of the anthology are personal stories of the pain, frustration and most of all, the powerlessness felt by the victims of austerity programs.
I felt that the short stories generally worked better than the poetry in this collection, mostly because the stories seemed more personal and the poetry more political. Some of the poems were powerful, however, in their use of words, Matthew Duggan’s “Charcoal,” for instance, or a poem such as “Prole Baseline” by Ford Dagenham.
Riya Anne Polcastro’s story, “The Nigh Shift” is horrifyingly memorable for the realistic picture it portrays of a nurse, paralyzed by an attack from an emergency room patient and subsequently denied health and social services as her husband becomes more and more frustrated to the point of violence. Chris Harrison’s “The Bet” is a quirky tale of the inaccuracy of public opinion about those who can’t find jobs and the surprising response of one man who finds out the truth about the difficulty of finding employment. The extract from her book The Single Feather, by Ruth F. Hunt, reveals how depression and competition for the meager resources available to those with disabilities can turn one person against another and rob those most needing it from support. Mary Papastavrou’s story, “Maria Jumps,” is a frightening view of life inside a dystopian society in which only the powerful survive. A few writers are able to inject humor—black humor—into their stories: Rupert Dreyfus in “Workfarce,” for instance, or Harry Whitewolf in “Word Tax.” The fake and hilarious advertisements of Jay Spencer Green are a welcome lightness interspersed throughout the book.
It’s impossible to come away from the Anti-Austerity Anthology without being personally affected. I’ve singled out a few of the entries that struck a particularly responsive chord with me, but none of the stories or poems is weak and all convey a message.The book is a testament to the personal toll on people’s lives that a government more interested in economic matters and preservation of the wealth of the rich and powerful can have. It’s also a wonderful example of how art can be turned to the examination of social issues.
I strongly recommend the book.

[Marc · Rating 4 out of 5]

The impetus for this project seems timely, admirable, and well-executed. I worried that some of the pieces might edge into clichéd railing against the rich and powerful, and while a few did, by and large there's an immense variety of viewpoints, styles, and approaches. Highlights for me: Gransden's "NV" story (it's like HP Lovecraft meets capitalism); a series of biting, satiric "Vacuous Vacancy" announcements for jobs created by Jay Spencer Green; and the arresting poetry of Ford Dagenham. Robertson's subverting of expectations and Harry Whitewolf's word tax concept also stuck with me long after I finished reading. It's no easy feat to pull together an assortment of genres and writing styles with a political message and not have the activism trump the art. Kudos to all involved.

[Viktoria · Rating 5 out of 5]

The foreword is by the renowned Steve Topple, who somehow manages to condense into a few pages everything he know about austerity, which is a pretty mean achievement because he knows so much, as Canary readers will know. It's a powerful, eye-opening start to the book.

There are poems from writers:
Bradford Middleton
M.J. Black
Guy Brewer
Andy Carrington
Matthew Duggan
Ruth F Hunt
Connor Young
Ford Dagenham and
Harry Whitewolf.

If you have any preconceived ideas about poetry being a bit flowery or not suited to such a horrific ideology as austerity, STOP RIGHT THERE. The poetry from these authors is mostly brutal and angry but at the same time filled with pathos. Poetry that strips austerity, Brexit, racism, ableism down to the naked truth and uses imagery that prose can't quite emulate to shine a spotlight on the harshness and inequality of life in Britain today.

There are short stories from:
Riya Anne Polcastro
Riya's story is a stark warning from across the pond, where austerity is mixed with an even worse welfare state and no NHS.
Rebecca Gransden
Rebecca's first story is about something many of you will recognise but I can't describe it without spoilers! Something is sucking the lifeblood out of people but what could it be?
Her second story is heart rending, about those left behind when people fall through the cracks. *Warning: Your eyes might leak*
Chris Harrison writes an intriguing story about a bet, with unexpected outcomes.
Leo X Robertson writes with vitriol to start with, a story (for me anyway) about the power of poetry.
An extract from a novel by Ruth F Hunt about attitudes towards disabled and other people on benefits.
Mary Papastavrou writes about a dystopian future born from the seeds of austerity.
Rupert Dreyfus: As in all his books, always agitating for change, Rupert sticks up two fingers - possibly one - at the establishment.
Harry Whitewolf's contribution is about a word tax, which as you read it becomes less and less inconceivable!

There is a compelling essay from Mike Robbins where he argues
" ... that what lies behind benefit sanctions is the urge to punish, and that this is part of a broader sickness in British society. That sickness is bullying."

Interspersing these pieces are:

--- Green's Vacuous Vacancies ---

works of satirical mastery by Jay Spencer Green.

This book is the unmissable book of 2018. Never mind all those books on Trump or whatever else you've been reading! This book is iconic in it's mix of authors and styles, in their determination to slay the monster that is austerity, leaving no shadowy excuses behind which it can hide. It is a potent example of how the arts can agitate for change. It also works towards improving the lot of people struggling under such a cruel regime, by donating the proceeds to food bank charities.