Soundings Call for papers April 2026 Cultures of Hope

Posted on 28/04/2026

Call for papers April 2026 Cultures of Hope

Continuing to seek to better understand the conjuncture implies a continued belief in the possibility of change, as well as commitment to work for it. This issue will focus on cultural and political resources for hope.

Three potential areas of discussion are:

• Discussion on political strategy – looking at parties and movements both inside and outside the UK, new parties and alternative forms of politics
• Resources of hope 1/counterforces – movements and resistance
• Resources of hope 2/ cultural forms of resistance and critique

Possible topics

• Mamdani’s victory in New York
• grassroots forms of resistance, including by local UK anti-racist groups and those working in solidarity with migrants; global examples, e.g. young people’s movements in Nepal; and historical solidarity efforts. Possibly including global level institutions, such as the ICJ.
• International change re counterbalances to American hegemony and the challenges faced by Western liberal institutions
• trade unions
• culture as opposition
• political songs
• Palestinian cultural resistance
• The inspiration of continuing Palestinian resistance against all the odds
• Social media opposition and alternative journalism
• Discussion on the relationships between parties and movements
• Discussion on Greens and Your Party

Please send 250-word abstracts to sally@lwbooks.co.uk and include a short bio. Abstracts are due by 31 May, with notifications to follow two weeks later. Full manuscripts will be requested by the end of July 2026. Any questions: sally@lwbooks.co.uk