University of Reading cookie policy

We use cookies on reading.ac.uk to improve your experience, monitor site performance and tailor content to you

Read our cookie policy to find out how to manage your cookie settings

Matthew Worley

Photograph of Matthew Worley

Department Director of Teaching and Learning

Areas of interest

My main areas of interest lay in twentieth-century British culture and politics. My early research was concentrated on the interwar years, with a particular interest in the British labour movement. I have also written on communism in Britain and in Europe, while my research into Sir Oswald Mosley's New Party led me to work on the far right of the British political spectrum.

Postgraduate supervision

I have supervised several PhDs to completion and am keen to hear from postgraduates interested in areas of youth culture, popular music, cultural history, twentieth-century political history, communism, socialism and fascism.

Teaching

Undergraduate

Anarchy in the UK: Punk. Politics and Youth Culture in Britain 1976–84

Political Extremism in Britain Between the Wars

Noise Annoys: British Youth Culture, Popular Music and Social Change, 1950s–90s

War, White Heat and the Winds of Change: Britain’s Twentieth Century

 

Postgraduate MA (postgraduate taught)

Building a New Jerusalem: The Labour Party, 1900–45

Research centres and groups

I co-founded the Subcultures Network in 2011, creating a network of scholars, writers, artists, musicians, delinquents, pub bores and poets interested in cataloguing and researching the history of British youth culture. This has led to collaborations across the world and the creation of a book series with Palgrave Macmillan.

Subcultures - Interdisciplinary Network for the Study of Subcultures, Popular Music and Social Change (reading.ac.uk)

Subcultures, Popular Music and Social Change | Facebook

Palgrave Studies in the History of Subcultures and Popular Music | Book series home (springer.com)

Impact and public engagement

I work closely with the Youth Club Archive/Museum of Youth Culture and the Norwich Lanes, contributing to and helping with events. I have advised on various public exhibitions and worked with artists such as Scott King. I have also co-written books and hosted events with Steve Ignorant of Crass and Slice Of Life.

YOUTH CLUB (youthclubarchive.com)

Museum of Youth Culture | 100 Years of Growing Up

Punk in the East | Celebrating 40+ years of Punk in East Anglia

Scott King

Books – Steve Ignorant

Publications

Loading your publications ...