Caliban Shrieks

A lyrical tour of life as a young working-class man born into the first days of the 20th century, Caliban Shrieks is a lost masterpiece of 1930s British literature. WITH NEW INTRODUCTIONS BY ANDREW McMILLAN AND JACK CHADWICKCaliban Shrieks’ narrator went from a childhood of poverty, yet joy and freedom, to the punishing grind of factory life and the idiocy of being sent blindly into war. He was turned out of the army a vagrant—seeing England from city to city, county to county—before being thrust back into an uncertain cycle of working life as it unfolded in the post-war years.
A story of men and women lost, wandering—and angrily dreaming of a better, fairer England, Hilton’s autobiographical novel is a bold modernist retelling of the myth of how we find ourselves disenfranchised from the world and sold into a slavery of our making. Lost to time, only to be rediscovered again in the Salford's Working Class Movement Library in 2022, Caliban Shrieks is a working-class masterpiece of British literature, and continues to speak as brash and impassioned as it did on its first rave publication in 1935.
Why You Should Read?
Provides a bold, modernist retelling of the myth of disenfranchisement and self-imposed slavery.
Offers a lyrical tour through the life of a young working-class man in early 20th-century Britain.
Presents a unique narrative voice that stands out within its genre.
Explores the transformative journey from childhood joy to the harsh realities of factory life and war.
About the Author
Jack Hilton is the author of "Caliban Shrieks," a rediscovered masterpiece of 1930s British literature. Born into the working class, Hilton's life experiences deeply informed his writing, offering a raw and authentic portrayal of early 20th-century struggles. His autobiographical novel provides a poignant exploration of themes such as poverty, war, and the search for identity. Hilton's work resonates with a unique narrative voice, marking him as a significant figure in working-class literature.