In this episode of the History Workshop Podcast, a unique perspective on the memoir and biography, and the art of writing about lived experiences. Alison Light tells a very personal story about her ongoing efforts to write a memoir about her relationship with Raphael Samuel, who died in 1996. She uses their marriage as a kind of a lens through which to see both their shared past and her future. She also reflects on our ideas of ‘personal life’ – suggesting instead that the public sphere cannot be separated from private experience, especially in the process of writing a memoir. As we share more and more of our lives online, this is something we are all increasingly familiar with.
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Raphael Samuel was one of the pioneers of ‘history from below’ and one of the founders of History Workshop. He was described by Stuart Hall as one of “the most outstanding, original intellectuals of his generation.”
This talk was recorded at Queen Mary, University of London at the 2016 Raphael Samuel Memorial Lecture.
Well done Alison ! You are perpetuating the memory of a great progressive thinker and a dear personal friend of mine, whom I still admire immensely. But you will never be able to replicate his unique personality, nor his particular brand of revolutionary enthusiasm that enlivened Oxford when I had the privilege to study there.