‘This day in Paris/this day everywhere’ : Jack Lindsay and France

Abstract

The writer Jack Lindsay is well-known for his attempts to acclimatise communism to English conditions, beginning with his poem 'Who are the English?', published in 1936. However, this article aims to show the importance of France as a reference-point in Lindsay's life and work. From the Popular Front onwards, France inspires through its potential for resistance and revolution. At the same time, it is a place of betrayal and sectarianism. We explore this rich relationship through study of Lindsay's literary and non-fiction texts, memoirs and private correspondence. We argue that, throughout Lindsay's immense oeuvre, France has a key place in his constant struggle against alienation and for 'the fullness of life'.