“THE COOKS, the cleaners, the porters: unsung heroes on the frontline” was one of the most memorable headlines to appear in an Irish newspaper this year - and perhaps the most pointedly accurate.
The fact that those who hold positions normally classed as 'ordinary jobs' or 'low skilled work' have proved to be among the most essential workers during a pandemic has been a lesson to many, and makes the appearance of a new anthology, From the Plough to the Stars: An Anthology of Working People’s Prose from Contemporary Ireland, very appropriate.
From the Plough to the Stars, edited by the GMIT's Jenny Farrell, and published by Culture Matters, features 50 working class authors from across Ireland. It also features a foreword by Gerry Murphy, president of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions.
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"During the pandemic it has become clear that whatever else fails, a society cannot function without the working class," said Jenny Farrell [pictured above]. "The common focus in this book is on themes which reflect working-class life in contemporary Ireland. The writers create a complex and varied image of Irish working people today, one that challenges conventional stereotypes of their class."
The book is €12 and available from culturematters.org.uk; Charlie Byrne’s Bookshop; and Kenny’s Bookshop.
