The Working Classic

The Working Classic is a collection of poetry, interviews, and essays by Aaron Kent that explore the representation of working-class voices in the gentrified creative industry. It challenges the notion of appropriation and showcases a working-class poetics that offers a reality of experience and a subversion of expectations. The book is a hostile depiction of establishment arts and demonstrates the potential of working-class voices to offer more than schadenfreude.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 150 pages
Publication date: 06 October 2023
Publisher: The 87 Press

The Working Classic is a captivating anthology that encompasses a diverse range of poetry, interviews, and essays, all curated by Aaron Kent. Within these diverse texts, Kent endeavors to shed light on the pervasive phenomenon of a gentrified creative industry that often disregards the voices of the working class unless those voices are appropriated by individuals from the middle or upper classes. Through a personal journey marked by struggles with his own accent and upbringing, Kent unveils a working-class poetics that seeks to capture both the realities of experience and challenge prevailing expectations.

The interviews, essays, and reviews of Kent's work provide a scathing portrayal of how the establishment arts attempt to establish rigid guidelines for the participation of working-class voices. On the other hand, the poems in The Working Classic showcase the immense potential of working-class voices to offer more than mere schadenfreude. This anthology is a true testament to Kent's exceptional talent and creativity, as he continually finds new words and innovative forms to peel back the layers of the self. The book's non-linear, unpredictable, and always surprising narrative style is a testament to Kent's unique vision and unparalleled ability to convey profound insights and emotions.

For fans of J. H. Prynne, Vladimir Mayakovsky, and Anthony Anaxagorou, The Working Classic is a must-read that offers a fresh perspective on the power of poetry and the importance of representing diverse voices in the arts.

Weight: 120g
Dimension: 130 x 197 x 8 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781739393915