Imagined Nation explores the possibilities for England after Britain - as a multicultural nation, capable of addressing the legacies of history, yet confident enough to construct an inclusive future.
The break-up of Britain has begun but, unlike the rest of its constituent parts, England remains an imagined nation. Scotland has a Parliament, and Wales and Northern Ireland have Assemblies. What does England have as a nation state - apart from a team to cheer and a flag to wave?
The contributors to this book put forward a variety of ideas in an effort to begin to create a new imaginary for an old country. Rejecting racialised ideas of Englishness, they outline the prospects for a hybrid nation, and offer a vision of a green and pleasant land as an alternative national future.
Mark Perryman is writer and regular TV commentator on Englishness and football, and a lecturer in sports journalism at Brighton University. He is convenor of the London England Fans supporters’ group, co-founder of Philosophy Football and author of a number of books, including Ingerland: Travels with a Football Nation and (as editor) The Blair Agenda.
Introductory essay
Mark Perryman England after Britain: The Imagined Nation
Section One: A State of Independence
Andrew Gamble A Union of Historic Compromise
Rupa Huq The Sound of the Suburbs
Graham Macklin All White on the Right
Stephen Brasher Labouring for England
Section Two: Little England
Billy Bragg New Traditions for an Old Country
Richard Weight A Mix ‘n Match Nation
Ben Carrington Where’s the White in the Union Jack? Race, Identity and the Sporting Multicultural
Julia Bell Minding our Language
Section Three: Home Truths from Here, and There
David Conn The Beautiful North
Gerry Hassan A Short History of the Future Break-Up
Anne Coddington Farewell to the Morris Men
Markus Hesselmann Three World Cups and no more Wars
Section Four: Landscapes of the New Jerusalem
Paul Gilroy The Great Escape: From Enoch Powell to Hope Powell, and beyond
Nicola Baird A Green and Pleasant Land
Dan Burdsey Halfway to Where? Racialisation and the Discontents of Englishness
Andy Newman A Political Imaginary for an English Left
‘Some of the sharpest thinking around on both the pitfalls of nationalism and the potential for a progressive English identity.’
Gary Younge
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‘Mark Perryman has long been one of the more articulate commentators on issues of national identity’
Andrew Shields, Time Out
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‘Mark Perryman, the supreme documenter of English fandom’
Brian Appleyard, Sunday Times
