Friday 16 March 2018

Finding Albert - Graphic novel crowdfunder appeal

Dear London Socialist Historians Group,

I am writing for your support - I am crowdfunding the production of a graphic novel telling the story of my great-grandfathers life in the first half of the twentieth century. He was German Communist Historian who had to flee Nazi Germany. He was involved in the November Revolution of Germany in 1918, a founding member of the Spartacus League, leading member of the Rote Frontkämpferbund and Chief of Staff for one of the International Brigades in Spain. His daughter came to England as a refugee before World War II where she remained, becoming a Labour Councillor in Harlow New Town until her death in 1998.

Although a personal research project his life touches on themes that I think are very relevant to contemporary politics and social history. 

Funding for the campaign is going well and been mostly promoted through my own networks on Twitter and Facebook. However, I am hoping now to expand this to other interest groups. This is where I hope you can help.

I was wondering whether you would be able to share this campaign with your membership and/or support the campaign by tweeting or posting on Facebook a link to the campaign itself.

More information on the campaign can be found on Kickstarter at https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/cole007/finding-albert-illustrating-a-family-story 

I have also have created a short, shareable URL for the project at http://bit.ly/findingalbert

Additionally, I have prepared some pictures and promotional material which can be downloaded from Dropbox at https://www.dropbox.com/sh/t2d4cktv183h1xi/AAChHd3fHR-s16gWBNhr8d5ha?dl=0 

I look forward to hearing from you and hope you can help in some small way to promoting and supporting the project.

With all best wishes,

Cole Henley
Frome

@cole007

LSHG Workshop - Treason: Internationalist renegades and traitors

















London Socialist Historians’ Group Workshop on 
Treason: Internationalist Renegades and Traitors
Saturday 19th May, 12 – 5pm
Wolfson Room, Institute of Historical Research
Senate House, Malet Street, London WC1E 7HU.  
Entry is free without ticket although there will be a collection to cover expenses, but please register via the eventbrite link here if possible
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/treason-tickets-44281819113
The Levellers who refused to support Cromwell’s war in Ireland, the Polish troops who rebelled against Napoleon and sided with the Haitian Revolution, the Irish-American “St Patrick’s Battalion” who rejected American imperialism to fight with the Mexicans, the British people who joined the Indian Rebellion of 1857, the Confederate deserters who opposed slavery, the German anti-Nazis who deserted and joined the Red Army or fought with the French Resistance and the French anti-colonialists who sided with the independence fighters in Algeria and Vietnam. There have been some rare but truly inspiring and heroic examples of internationalism throughout modern history, when those being drafted into fighting for unjust wars rebelled to side and fight against imperialist oppression. This workshop will try to recover the lives and often hidden histories of these true ‘citizens of the world’, as well as considering moments in history where the potential for anti-imperialist internationalism did not materialise.
Programme:
12 - registration
12.15 Welcome / Introduction
12.20-1pm - Rebel Warriors (chair Christian Høgsbjerg]
Soldiers of Misfortune: Napoleon's Polish Deserters in the West Indies - Jonathan North [with a contribution from Christian Høgsbjerg]
 The Saint Patrick's Battalion - David Rovics [recorded]
-1pm - Break -
1.30-2.30 - Anti-Fascism (chair: Keith Flett)
 Organised Resistance to the Nazis from within the German Workers’ Movement from 1933-1945 - Merilyn Moos
Italians and Germans in the French Resistance - Steve Cushion
3pm-4pm Anti-Imperialism (chair Keith Flett)
The India and Burma Empire: Michael Carritt and Arthur Attwood - Richard Saville
Betraying the Moribund Empire: France 1946-1962 - Ian Birchall
4pm Opening the Debate - Steve Cushion (chair: Christian Høgsbjerg)
For more information please contact Keith Flett at the address above.

Edited to add: Please see this publication arising out of the workshop