Christopher Hilliard Livres

"For Victorian lawmakers and judges, the question of whether a book should be allowed to circulate freely depended on whether it was sold to readers whose mental and moral capacities were in doubt, by which they meant the increasingly literate and enfranchised working classes. The law stayed this way even as society evolved. In 1960, in the obscenity trial over D.H. Lawrence's Lady Chatterley's Lover, the prosecutor asked the jury, "Is it a book that you would even wish your wife or your servants to read?" Christopher Hilliard traces the history of British censorship from the Victorians to Margaret Thatcher, exposing the tensions between obscenity law and a changing British society. Hilliard goes behind the scenes of major obscenity trials and uncovers the routines of everyday censorship, shedding new light on the British reception of literary modernism and popular entertainments such as the cinema and American-style pulp fiction and comic books. He reveals the thinking of lawyers and the police, authors and publishers, and politicians and ordinary citizens as they wrestled with questions of freedom and morality. He describes how supporters and opponents of censorship alike tried to remake the law as they reckoned with changes in sexuality and culture that began in the 1960s. Based on extensive archival research, this incisive and multifaceted book reveals how the issue of censorship challenged British society to confront issues ranging from mass literacy and democratization to feminism, gay rights, and multiculturalism."--Amazon.ca

Focusing on the influential Cambridge literary critics, this book delves into how their ideas transformed English education by integrating popular culture into the curriculum. While F. R. Leavis is a prominent figure, the narrative centers on the lesser-known individuals who actively implemented his revolutionary concepts, highlighting their impact on teaching methods and literary criticism.

Exploring the evolution of censorship in modern Britain, this book delves into significant events and societal changes that shaped the landscape of free expression. It examines key legislation, influential figures, and pivotal moments that highlight the ongoing tension between authority and individual rights. Through detailed analysis, the narrative reveals how censorship has impacted literature, media, and public discourse, providing insights into the cultural and political implications of controlling information in society.

Littlehampton in the 1920s was menaced by a bizarre poison-pen case, which required the attention of a leading Metropolitan Police detective, and resulted in four criminal trials before the real culprit was finally punished. The Littlehampton Libels untangles this mystery story, exploring the inner lives of an English working-class community.