History isn't made by kings and politicians, it's made by all of us. This podcast is about how we, together, have fought for a better world.Become a paid subscriber, support our work and listen ad-free with early access and exclusive bonus episodes at patreon.com/workingclasshistory.
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Sep 30, 2026 · 10:11
New Fireside Chat available exclusively for our Patreon supporters about the true history of the weekend, struggles over time off from work, and what is missing from mainstream…
Sep 16, 2026 · 1:15:17
As part of our work to mark the centenary of the UK's 1926 general strike, we sat down with with Charles Ferrall and Dougal McNeill, authors of the excellent Writing the 1926…
Aug 12, 2026 · 5:25
Free preview extract ofIn various countries around the world, as movements against exploitation and inequality exploded, protesters found some unlikely allies – street dogs. In…
Aug 5, 2026 · 34:35
In various countries around the world, as movements against exploitation and inequality exploded, protesters found some unlikely allies – street dogs. In these episodes, we look…
Jul 20, 2026 · 25:09
Fireside Chat podcast available exclusively for our Patreon supporters we invited back Tomas Rothaus (from our Argentina 2001 episodes ) to discuss football, politics, and the…
Jul 15, 2026 · 10:10
Free preview of the bonus episode to our three-part podcast series about the organising campaign by the Industrial Workers of the World union at Starbucks in the 2000s, in…
Jul 8, 2026 · 39:40
Final part of our three-part podcast series about the organising campaign by the Industrial Workers of the World union at Starbucks in the 2000s, in conversation with Daniel…
Jul 1, 2026 · 31:33
Part 2 of our three-part podcast series about the organising campaign by the Industrial Workers of the World union at Starbucks in the 2000s, in conversation with Daniel Gross,…
Jun 25, 2026 · 47:46
Before the current wave of organising at Starbucks, another group of workers in the early 2000s got together and formed a union at one of the most anti-union corporations on…
May 13, 2026 · 9:44
Bonus episode for our three-part miniseries about the UK’s 1926 general strike, in collaboration with the General Strike 100 project and told using interviews with striking…
May 6, 2026 · 43:37
The final of our three-part miniseries about the UK’s 1926 general strike, which saw one and three-quarter million workers walk out in the biggest single work stoppage in British…
Apr 29, 2026 · 35:53
Part 2 of our three-part miniseries about the UK’s 1926 general strike, which saw one and three-quarter million workers walk out in the biggest single work stoppage in British…
Apr 22, 2026 · 41:33
First of our three-part miniseries about the UK’s 1926 general strike, which saw one and three-quarter million workers walk out in the biggest single work stoppage in British…
Mar 18, 2026 · 7:22
Preview extract of our bonus episode about state and political violence in Argentina (and beyond). Part of our miniseries on the 2001 Argentina uprising, which toppled the…
Mar 16, 2026 · 15:47
Fireside Chat podcast available exclusively for our Patreon supporters where we make fun of Trump’s absurd text to the Norwegian Prime Minister, and what it means for the rest of…
Mar 12, 2026 · 49:49
Part 2 of a double episode about the 2001 uprising in Argentina, which toppled the government, and saw the spread of neighbourhood assemblies and factories taken over by workers.…
Mar 4, 2026 · 10:22
Preview extract of our bonus episode about the history and politics of football culture in Argentina. Part of our miniseries on the 2001 Argentina uprising, which toppled the…
Feb 25, 2026 · 58:26
Part 1 of a double episode about the 2001 uprising in Argentina, which toppled the government, and saw the spread of neighbourhood assemblies and factories taken over by workers.…
Jan 7, 2026 · 11:52
Teaser extract of our latest Fireside Chat podcast available exclusively for our Patreon supporters in which we sit down for a bit of a chat about the year past, for WCH and the…
Nov 26, 2025 · 18:21
This is a teaser preview of one of our Radical Reads episodes, made exclusively for our supporters on patreon. You can listen to the full 67-minute episode without ads and…
Oct 30, 2025 · 4:30
An update for you on the Working Class History podcast and its future. In short, we began releasing much more frequent podcast episodes 18 months ago, in an effort to get more…
Oct 18, 2025 · 1:52:35
As part of our Radical Reads series, we speak about our latest book, Be Gay, Do Crime: Everyday Acts of Queer Resistance and Rebellion , with editors Zane McNeill, Blu Buchanan…
Oct 1, 2025 · 6:30
Preview extract of a bonus episode of our double podcast on the successful mass direct action campaign against the UK poll tax in the late 1980s and early 1990s. In conversation…
Sep 24, 2025 · 44:42
Second of a double podcast episode about the successful mass direct action campaign against the UK poll tax in the late 1980s and early 1990s. In conversation with Dave Morris…
Sep 17, 2025 · 43:06
First of a double podcast episode about the successful mass direct action campaign against the UK poll tax in the late 1980s and early 1990s. In conversation with Dave Morris…
Aug 20, 2025 · 59:57
Following our double-episode on the Florence Working-Class Literature Festival back in February, our co-host Matt was invited to this year’s festival, recording this episode…
Aug 14, 2025 · 25:17
Concluding part of our double episode about the crucial role played by women in the great miners’ strike in Britain, 1984-5, in conversation with Heather Wood, chair of the…
Aug 7, 2025 · 26:46
Double episode about the crucial role played by women in the great miners’ strike in Britain, 1984-5, in conversation with Heather Wood, chair of the Easington women’s strike…
Jul 24, 2025 · 12:09
Teaser of our latest Fireside Chat , available in full exclusively for our supporters on Patreon . A couple of years ago, John from WCH and Ade from our Farsi-language sister…
Jul 2, 2025 · 28:13
This is a teaser preview of one of our Radical Reads episodes, made exclusively for our supporters on patreon. You can listen to the full 122-minute episode without ads and…
Jun 18, 2025 · 39:43
Part 2 of our double episode on working-class author Jack Hilton, with Jack Chadwick whose literary detective work rescued Hilton from almost total obscurity. This part covers…
Jun 11, 2025 · 56:25
Part 1 of our double episode about Jack Hilton, a working-class author, World War I veteran, unemployed movement organiser, and trade union activist from Rochdale, north-west…
Jun 5, 2025 · 22:33
This is a teaser preview of one of our Fireside Chat episodes , made exclusively for our supporters on Patreon . You can listen to the full 104-minute episode without ads and…
Apr 23, 2025 · 30:07
Second of a double podcast about the Golden Age of Piracy, with historian Marcus Rediker. Our podcast is brought to you by our patreon supporters. Our supporters fund our work,…
Apr 16, 2025 · 36:02
First in a double podcast about the Golden Age of Piracy, with historian Marcus Rediker. The legendary pirates of this era weren’t just thieves—they were daring rebels…
Apr 9, 2025 · 13:21
This is a teaser preview of one of our Fireside Chat episodes , made exclusively for our supporters on Patreon . You can listen to the full 65-minute episode without ads and…
Mar 12, 2025 · 49:46
Part 2 of our double-episode about the Working-Class Literature Festival held every year in Florence, at the former GKN car parts factory, which was taken over by the workers…
Mar 5, 2025 · 51:27
First of a double-episode podcast about the Working-Class Literature Festival held every year in Florence, at the former GKN car parts factory, which was taken over by the…
Feb 12, 2025 · 27:23
This is a teaser preview of one of our Radical Reads episodes, made exclusively for our supporters on patreon. You can listen to the full 87-minute episode without ads and…
Feb 5, 2025 · 38:38
With the background of the Vietnam war, rising prices and stagnant wages, workers in the US began to ignore calls to support the war effort and keep working, and instead launch a…
Jan 29, 2025 · 39:16
With the background of the Vietnam war, rising prices and stagnant wages, workers in the US began to ignore calls to support the war effort and keep working, and instead launch a…
Jan 1, 2025 · 20:53
This is a teaser preview of one of our Radical Reads episodes, made exclusively for our supporters on patreon. You can listen to the full 85-minute episode without ads and…
Dec 11, 2024 · 19:10
This is a teaser preview of one of our Radical Reads episodes, made exclusively for our supporters on patreon. You can listen to the full 91-minute episode without ads and…
Dec 4, 2024 · 46:52
During the Great Depression in the US, facing mass job losses and abject poverty, thousands of coal miners in Pennsylvania took direct action and began digging their own mines on…
Nov 27, 2024 · 43:27
During the Great Depression in the US, facing mass job losses and abject poverty, thousands of coal miners in Pennsylvania took direct action and began digging their own mines on…
Nov 13, 2024 · 16:37
This is a teaser preview of our first Radical Read, made exclusively for our supporters on patreon. You can listen to the full 68-minute episode without ads and support our work…
Oct 24, 2024 · 36:00
The final episode of our three-part series about migrant worker poetry in China. We speak to Maghiel van Crevel, Professor of Chinese Language and Literature at Leiden…
Oct 17, 2024 · 35:08
Part 2 of our three-part series about migrant worker poetry in China. We speak to Maghiel van Crevel, Professor of Chinese Language and Literature at Leiden University. Maghiel…
Oct 10, 2024 · 45:33
First of the three-part series on migrant worker poetry in China. In these episodes, we speak to Maghiel van Crevel, Professor of Chinese Language and Literature at Leiden…
Sep 24, 2024 · 44:20
Second of a double podcast episode about the South Korean movements of 1987 which overthrew the US-backed military dictatorship and won big improvements for workers. In these…
Sep 13, 2024 · 38:55
First of a double podcast episode about the South Korean movements of 1987 which overthrew the US-backed military dictatorship and won big improvements for workers. In these…
Aug 30, 2024 · 13:26
Preview of our first Fireside chat. To celebrate our 10th birthday on 30 July 2024, we launched a new series of discussion podcast episodes exclusively for our supporters on…
Aug 21, 2024 · 45:57
Following on from his excellent book, 500 Years of Indigenous Resistance , Gord Hill of the Kwakwaka’wakw nation gives us an overview of over three decades of Indigenous…
Aug 7, 2024 · 53:28
Following on from his excellent book, 500 Years of Indigenous Resistance , Gord Hill of the Kwakwaka’wakw nation gives us an overview of over three decades of Indigenous…
Jun 12, 2024 · 48:14
Part 2 of our double-episode podcast about workers' struggles in Palestine during the British Mandate (1920-48). In this episode, we cover the Palestinian labour movement during…
May 30, 2024 · 51:53
First of a double podcast about workers' struggles in Palestine during the British Mandate (1920-48). In this episode we cover the Balfour Declaration and establishment of the…
May 2, 2024 · 14:49
Teaser extract from an episode exclusively for our patreon supporters . Episode produced by Upstream in conversation with John from Working Class History talking about the…
Jan 30, 2024 · 2:32
Introducing a brand-new daily podcast from the team at WCH. On This Day in Working Class History will be a brief reminder each morning of our collective struggles for a better…
Jan 18, 2024 · 44:11
Second in a double podcast about the Angry Brigade, Britain’s first home-grown urban guerrilla group, in the 1960s and 70s, in conversation with John Barker, who was put on trial…
Jan 10, 2024 · 44:26
Double podcast about the Angry Brigade, Britain’s first home-grown urban guerrilla group, in the 1960s and 70s, in conversation with John Barker, who was put on trial as part of…
Nov 2, 2023 · 49:28
Podcast episode about the Workmates collective, a rank-and-file initiative on the London Underground using unofficial direct action and workplace assemblies to fight…
Oct 17, 2023 · 46:08
Podcast episode about strikes by miners in Britain in 1972 and 1974, in conversation with Dave Douglass. Our podcast is brought to you by our patreon supporters. Our supporters…
Oct 4, 2023 · 36:45
The fourth and final episode of our podcast series on the Italian resistance to fascism in conversation with anti-fascist partisans themselves. In this episode, we look at the…
Sep 27, 2023 · 32:02
Part 3 of our four-part podcast series on the Italian resistance to fascism in conversation with anti-fascist partisans themselves. In this episode, we look at the question of…
Sep 20, 2023 · 36:19
Part 2 of our four-part podcast series on the Italian resistance to fascism in conversation with anti-fascist partisans themselves. In this episode, we discuss the participation…
Sep 13, 2023 · 38:07
The first of a four-part podcast series on the Italian resistance to fascism, both during World War Two and immediately after, in conversation with anti-fascist partisans…
Sep 6, 2023 · 34:43
Second of a double podcast episode about the Trinidad general strike of 1937, in conversation with Ryan Cecil Jobson. Our podcast is brought to you by our patreon supporters. Our…
Jul 20, 2023 · 40:33
First in a double podcast episode about the Trinidad general strike of 1937, in conversation with Ryan Cecil Jobson. Our podcast is brought to you by our patreon supporters. Our…
Jun 20, 2023 · 52:36
Concluding part of a double podcast episode about Ben Fletcher, a very important but little-known dock worker and labour organiser in the US with the Industrial Workers of the…
Jun 5, 2023 · 39:46
First in a double podcast episode about Ben Fletcher, a very important but little-known dock worker and labour organiser in the US with the Industrial Workers of the World union.…
Apr 3, 2023 · 31:51
Podcast episode about anti-fascist youth cultural movements in Nazi Germany before and during World War II. In particular we look at the German Edelweiss Pirates and Swing Kids,…
Jan 31, 2023 · 55:04
We chat with Pearson from the Coffee with Comrades podcast about our new web apps: the Working Class History Map and Stories app. This episode has been timed to coincide with the…
Dec 13, 2022 · 32:36
Concluding part of our double-episode in conversation with author, DD Johnston, about his new novel, Disnaeland. In this part, Darren discusses the novel’s relationship to the…
Dec 6, 2022 · 48:26
The first of a two-part episode, Working Class Literature speak to DD Johnston about his new novel, Disnaeland, about a working-class Scottish community's response to societal…
Oct 13, 2022 · 56:18
Rerelease of our episode 49 about Anti-Racist Action in Minneapolis, because we are currently trying to co-publish a book, We Go Where They Go: The Story of Anti-Racist Action,…
Aug 29, 2022 · 42:02
Second in a double podcast episode about the life and work of Howard Zinn, historian, World War II veteran and activist, in his own words, 100 years since his birth. Our podcast…
Aug 17, 2022 · 39:56
First in a double podcast episode about the life and work of Howard Zinn, historian, World War II veteran and activist, in his own words, 100 years since his birth. Our podcast…
Aug 10, 2022 · 46:33
Concluding part of our double podcast episode about the iconic strike of mostly East African Asian women workers at the Grunwick photo processing plant in London in 1976-8.…
Aug 3, 2022 · 43:41
Double podcast episode about the iconic strike of mostly East African Asian women workers at the Grunwick photo processing plant in London in 1976-8. Featuring Amrit Wilson,…
Jul 24, 2022 · 38:03
Part 2 of our double-podcast episode to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the 1972 building workers' strike. In this episode, we speak to two participants in the strike - Tony…
Jul 12, 2022 · 35:22
Part 1 of our double-podcast episode to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the 1972 building workers' strike. In this episode, we speak to two participants in the strike - Tony…
Apr 29, 2022 · 47:42
Concluding part of our double podcast episode about Mildred Fish-Harnack, the US-born woman at the centre of the underground resistance to Nazism in Berlin during World War II.…
Apr 17, 2022 · 40:26
First in a double podcast episode about Mildred Fish-Harnack, the US-born woman at the centre of the underground resistance to Nazism in Berlin during World War II. In…
Mar 30, 2022 · 30:06
Part 2 of our double-episode in which we talk to acclaimed author, poet and Professor of Children’s Literature, Michael Rosen, about his anthology, Workers’ Tales: Socialist…
Mar 17, 2022 · 34:06
A Working Class Literature podcast double-episode in which we talk to acclaimed author, poet and Professor of Children's Literature, Michael Rosen, about his anthology, Workers'…
Mar 7, 2022 · 54:09
Second of a double podcast episode about the League of Revolutionary Black Workers in Detroit in the late 60s/early 70s, in conversation with Herb Boyd, author of Black Detroit…
Feb 24, 2022 · 46:00
Double podcast episode about the League of Revolutionary Black Workers in Detroit in the late 60s/early 70s, in conversation with Herb Boyd, author of Black Detroit and former…
Dec 27, 2021 · 39:05
Concluding part of our double podcast episode on the 1977 Bread Intifada in Egypt. We speak with journalist and revolutionary socialist, Hossam el-Hamalawy, about the uprising…
Dec 13, 2021 · 27:36
Part 1 of our double episode on the 1977 Bread Intifada in Egypt, in which hundreds of thousands of working-class Egyptians rose up against the government’s termination of food…
Nov 29, 2021 · 33:11
Concluding part of a double podcast episode on the West Virginia mine wars 1902-1922. We speak with Catherine Moore and others from the West Virginia Mine Wars Museum, as well as…
Nov 9, 2021 · 37:59
Part 1 of a double podcast episode on the West Virginia mine wars 1902-1922. We speak with Catherine Moore and others from the West Virginia Mine Wars Museum, as well as some…
Oct 25, 2021 · 42:41
The final part of our four-part podcast miniseries about the May 18 uprising in Gwangju, South Korea, in 1980 against the US-backed military dictatorship of Chun Doo Hwan. We…
Oct 8, 2021 · 42:04
Part 3 of our four-part podcast miniseries about the May 18 uprising in Gwangju, South Korea, in 1980 against the US-backed military dictatorship of Chun Doo Hwan. We speak with…
Sep 27, 2021 · 37:58
Part 2 of our four-part podcast miniseries about the May 18 uprising in Gwangju, South Korea, in 1980 against the US-backed military dictatorship of Chun Doo Hwan. We speak with…
Sep 11, 2021 · 31:28
First part of our podcast miniseries about the May 18 uprising in Gwangju, South Korea, in 1980 against the US-backed military dictatorship of Chun Doo Hwan. We speak with Kim…
Jun 18, 2021 · 1:01:33
Podcast episode about the history of the revolutionary union the Industrial Workers of the World in Canada. We speak with historian and author Mark Leier about the union’s…
Jun 10, 2021 · 50:59
Episode two of the Working Class Literature podcast about Joseph Skipsey, a poet and coal miner from the North East of England. After entering the mines as a child, he would grow…
Apr 12, 2021 · 1:01:12
Podcast episode about two extremely influential South Korean worker organisers, Jeon Tae-il and Lee So-sun, and the autonomous self-organisation of women textile and garment…
Feb 9, 2021 · 1:07:02
Podcast episode in which we talk about our new book, Working Class History: Everyday Acts of Resistance & Rebellion, with our friends at the Coffee with Comrades podcast, which…
Jan 11, 2021 · 55:23
As a far-right mob storms the Capitol in Washington DC, learn more about the history of opposition to white supremacy in the US. This podcast episode tells the story of…
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