6:10pm Thursday 21st May 2009
By Kat Dibbits
A NEW book celebrates Bolton’s “forgotten genius”, the writer Allen Clarke.
Admired by the likes of Thomas Hardy and Tolstoy, who translated his book on the cotton industry into Russian, Clarke wrote under several pseudonyms including Teddy Ashton and was revered in the north of England for his work in the campaign against child labour in the mills.
Having been turned down as a journalist by The Bolton Evening News he wrote several articles for independent newspapers that he funded himself, supporting the teachers and socialist activists who were trying to abolish child labour.
He also wrote lighter-hearted dialect pieces, novels, poetry and even recipes which won him a wide fanbase. But despite all his good work, his name is now virtually unknown, even in his home town.
Author Paul Salveson, from Great Lever, became interested in Clarke when he was writing his Phd on Lancashire dialect literature at Salford University.
He discovered papers relating to Clarke “by accident” in the local history section of Lancaster University and became fascinated by him.
He decided to write the book, titled Lancashire’s Romantic Radical: The Life and Writings of Allen Clarke/Teddy Ashton, to try and gain some recognition for the little-known author and campaigner. It has taken over 30 years to be published, but Paul says he is pleased that more people can find out about this extraordinary man.
“Allen Clarke was one of the most fascinating characters in Northern literature — he wrote over 20 novels, published a weekly newspaper, wrote poetry, philosophy and children’s sketches,” he said.
“His book on spiritualism and philosophy was admired by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
“Much of what he had to say about life, politics and the environment are as relevant now as they were in his own time.
“But he never hit the national stage — he was always a very regional writer. He never really had any great ambition to become a nationally known writer.”
Lancashire’s Romantic Radical is available at £15 plus £2.50 postage and packaging from Little Northern Books, 90a Radcliffe Road, Golcar, Huddersfield, HD7 4EZ or visit littlenorthernbooks.co.uk.
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