Matthew Worley

Email:
m.worley@reading.ac.uk
Phone:
+44 (0) 118 378 6582
Job title:
Professor of Modern History

Responsibilities:

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)

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

Arnold, G. , Dougan, J. , Feldman-Barrett, C. , Worley, M. ORCID: 0000-0002-3049-8714 , eds. (2023) The life, death, and afterlife of the record store: a global history. Bloomsbury , London. pp 304. (In Press) ISBN: 9781501384509

Cofield, L. , Mechen, B. , Worley, M. ORCID: 0000-0002-3049-8714 (2022) History from the top shelf: the cultural politics of sex in post-war Britain. Contemporary British History , 36 (2). pp. 165-173. ISSN: 1743-7997 | doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13619462.2022.2051485
Worley, M. ORCID: 0000-0002-3049-8714 (2022) Whip in my valise: British punk and the Marquis de Sade, c. 1975–85. Contemporary British History , 36 (2). pp. 277-321. ISSN: 1743-7997 | doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13619462.2022.2051487

Smith, E. and Worley, M. ORCID: 0000-0002-3049-8714 , eds. (2021) The British left and Ireland in the twentieth century. Routledge , London. pp 186. ISBN: 9780367701468
Henry, W. and Worley, M. ORCID: 0000-0002-3049-8714 , eds. (2021) Narratives from Beyond the UK Reggae Bassline: The System is Sound. Palgrave Studies in the History of Subcultures and Popular Music Palgrave Macmillan , London. ISBN: 9783030551605 | doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-55161-2

Worley, M. (2020) ‘If I had more time it could be better, but the new wave’s about spontaneity, right?’: finding meaning in Britain’s early punk fanzines (1976–77). Punk and Post-Punk , 9 (2). pp. 223-245. ISSN: 2044-1983 | doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1386/punk_00028_1
Worley, M. (2020) Guitars give way to guns: a commentary on an interview with Jean-Marc Rouillan. Transposition: Musique et Sciences Sociales, Hors-série 2 ISSN: 2110-6134 | doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.4000/transposition.3780

Smith, E. and Worley, M. , eds. (2018) The British left and Ireland in the twentieth century. Contemporary British History , 32. Taylor & Francis (4).
Worley, M. (2018) Whose culture? Fanzines, politics and agency. Ripped, Torn and Cut: Pop, Politics and Punk Fanzines from 1976. Manchester University Press , Manchester. pp. 55-71. ISBN: 9781526120595
Puccini, J. , Smith, E. , Worley, M. , eds. (2018) The Far Left in Australia since 1945. Routledge , London. pp 286. ISBN: 9781138541580
Copsey, N. and Worley, M. , eds. (2018) Tomorrow belongs to us: the British far right since 1967. Routledge , London. ISBN: 9781138675162
Worley, M. and Lohman, K. (2018) Bloody revolutions, fascist dreams, anarchy and peace: Crass, Rondos and the politics of punk, 1977–84. Britain and the World: Historical Journal of the British Scholar Society , 11 (1). pp. 51-74. ISSN: 2043-8567 | doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.3366/brw.2018.0287
Worley, M. (2018) No doves fly here: British punk and Cold War dystopia. Journal for the Studies of British Cultures , 24 (1/2017). pp. 59-71. (ISBN: 9783826065379)
Street, J. , Worley, M. , Wilkinson, D. (2018) "Does it threaten the status quo?" Elite responses to british punk, 1976–78. Popular Music , 37 (2). pp. 271-289. ISSN: 0261-1430 | doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S026114301800003X

Worley, M. and Copsey, N. (2017) White youth: the Far Right, Punk and British Youth Culture, 1977–87. In: Copsey, N. and Worley, M. , (eds.) Tomorrow Belongs to Us: The British Far Right since 1967. Routledge | doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.4324/9781315563824
Clausen, S. , Worley, M. , King, S. , Hunt, A. (2017) Reading International: CRASH! ‘A Better Britain II: Britlins’. Reading International ISBN: 9781912115723
Smith, E. and Worley, M. , eds. (2017) Waiting for the revolution: the British far left from 1956. , 2. Manchester University Press , Manchester. pp 279. ISBN: 9781526113658
Clausen, S. (2017) Reading International 2: CRASH! presents ‘A Better Britain II: Britlins’. ISBN: 9781912115723
Worley, M. (2017) No future: punk, politics and British youth culture, 1976–1984. Cambridge University Press , Cambridge. pp 404. ISBN: 9781316625606

Dines , M. and Worley, M. , eds. (2016) The aesthetic of our anger: anarcho-punk, politics and music. Minor Compositions , Colchester. pp 325. ISBN: 9781570273186
Worley, M. (2016) Marx-Lenin-Rotten-Strummer: British Marxism and Youth Culture in the 1970's. Contemporary British History , 30 (4). pp. 505-521. ISSN: 1743-7997 | doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13619462.2016.1206820
Worley, M. and Copsey, N. (2016) White youth: the Far Right, Punk and British youth culture. JOMEC Journal , 9 pp. 27-47. ISSN: 2049-2340 | doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.18573/j.2016.10041
Worley, M. (2016) Riotous assembly: British punk's diaspora in the summer of '81. In: Andresen, K. and van der Steen, B. , (eds.) A European Youth Revolt: European Perspectives on Youth Protest and Social Movements in the 1980s. Palgrave Macmillan pp. 217-227. ISBN: 9781137565693

The Subcultures Network and Worley, M. , eds. (2015) Fight Back: Punk, Politics and Resistance. Manchester University Press , Manchester. pp. 1-336. ISBN: 9780719090295
Worley, M. (2015) Punk, Politics and British (fan)zines, 1974-84:'While the world was dying, did you wonder why?. History Workshop Journal , 79 (1). pp. 76-106. ISSN: 0309-2984 | doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1093/hwj/dbu043

Worley, M. (2014) Oi!Oi!Oi!: class locality and British punk. In: Subcultures Network, T. , (eds.) Fight Back: Punk, Politics and Resistance. Manchester University Press , Manchester. pp. 34-64. ISBN: 9780719090295 (http://www.manchesteruniversitypress.co.uk/cgi-bin/indexer?product=9780719090295)
Worley, M. (2014) 'Hey little rich boy, take a good look at me': punk, class and British oi!. Punk and Post-Punk , 3 (1). pp. 5-20. ISSN: 2044-1983 | doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1386/punk.3.1.5_1
Smith, E. and Worley, M. (2014) Introduction: the far Left in Britain from 1956. In: Smith, E. and Worley, M. , (eds.) Against the Grain: The Far Left in Britain from 1956. Manchester University Press , Manchester. pp. 1-12. ISBN: 9780719095900
Smith, E. and Worley, M. , eds. (2014) Against the grain: the far left in Britain from 1956. Manchester University Press , Manchester. pp 272. ISBN: 9780719095900
Worley, M. (2014) Revolution rock? : The Clash, Joe Strummer and the British Left in the early days of punk. In: Faulk, B. and Harris, B. , (eds.) Punk rock warlord : critical perspectives on the life and work of Joe Strummer. Ashgate popular and folk music series Ashgate , Farnham. pp. 81-92. ISBN: 9781472410559

Worley, M. (2013) Oi! Oi! Oi! : class locality and British punk. Twentieth Century British History , 24 (4). pp. 606-636. ISSN: 1477-4674 | doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1093/tcbh/hwt001
Worley, M. (2013) Communism and Fascism in 1920s and 1930s Britain. In: Sharpe, A. , (eds.) W. H. Auden in context. Cambridge University Press , UK. ISBN: 9780521196574 (Part III. Political, Historical and Theoretical Contexts)

Worley, M. (2012) Finding Fascism: the politics of Sir Oswald Mosley, 1929-32. In: Karcher, N. and Kjostvedt, A. , (eds.) Movements and Ideas of the Extreme Right in Europe. Zivilisationen & Geschichte Peter Lang (21). pp. 103-116. ISBN: 9783631601365
Worley, M. and Goretti, L. (2012) Communist youth, Communist generations : a reappraisal. Twentieth Century Communism: A Journal of International History , 4 pp. 5-13. ISSN: 1758-6437
Worley, M. (2012) Shot by both sides: Punk, politics and the end of “Consensus”. Contemporary British History , 26 (3). pp. 333-354. ISSN: 1743-7997 | doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13619462.2012.703013

Worley, M. (2011) Why fascism? Sir Oswald Mosley and the conception of the British Union of Fascists. History , 96 (321). pp. 68-83. ISSN: 1468-229X | doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-229X.2010.00507.x
Worley, M. (2011) One nation under the bomb: the Cold War and British punk to 1984. Journal for the Study of Radicalism , 5 (2). pp. 65-84. ISSN: 1930-1189

Worley, M. (2010) Introduction: communism and political violence. Twentieth Century Communism: A Journal of International History , 2 pp. 1-7. ISSN: 1758-6437
Worley, M. (2010) Oswald Mosley and the New Party. Palgrave Macmillan , Basingstoke. pp 248. ISBN: 9780230206977

Worley, M. , eds. (2009) Oswald Mosley and the New Party. Contemporary British History (special issue) , 23. Contemporary British History , 23 (4). pp. 421-617. ISSN: 1743-7997
Worley, M. (2009) The red flag and the fine city: the Norwich Labour Party 1900–1945. In: Grimwood, I. , Gyford, J. , Newens, S. , Mathew, D. , Worley, M. , (eds.) Labour in the east: essays in Labour history in Norfolk, Suffolk & Essex . Labour Heritage , London, UK. pp. 118-132.
Worley, M. (2009) Introduction: the New Party. Contemporary British History , 23 (4). pp. 421-423. ISSN: 1743-7997 | doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13619460903198069
Worley, M. (2009) Aus dem Schatten: Ein Überblick über die aktuelle Forschung zur Kommunistischen Partei Großbritanniens. Jahrbuch für Historische Kommunismusforschung pp. 349-358. ISSN: 0944-629X
Worley, M. (2009) The fruits on the tree. The foundations of the British Labour Party: identities, cultures and perspectives, 1900-39. Studies in Labour History , XIV. Ashgate pp. 193-212. ISBN: 9780754667315
Worley, M. (2009) Introduction. In: Worley, M. , (eds.) The foundations of the British Labour Party: identities, cultures and perspectives, 1900-39. Studies in Labour History Ashgate (XIV). pp. 1-12. ISBN: 9780754667315
Worley, M. , eds. (2009) The foundations of the British Labour Party: identities, cultures and perspectives, 1900-39. Studies in Labour History , XIV. Ashgate pp 274. ISBN: 97807546673115

Worley, M. and Taylor, K. (2008) Testing the limits: Stalinization and the New Zealand and British Communist Parties. In: Worley, M. , Laporte, N. , Morgan, K. , (eds.) Bolshevism, Stalinism and the Comintern: perspectives on Stalinization, 1917-53. Palgrave pp 336. ISBN: 9780230006713
Worley, M. , Laporte, N. , Morgan, K. (2008) Stalinization and Communist historiography. In: Worley, M. , Laporte, N. , Morgan, K. , (eds.) Bolshevism, Stalinism and the Comintern: perspectives on Stalinization, 1917-53. Palgrave pp. 1-21. ISBN: 9780230006713
Worley, M. , LaPorte, N. , Morgan, K. , eds. (2008) Bolshevism, Stalinism and the Comintern: perspectives on Stalinization, 1917-53. Palgrave , Basingstoke. pp 336. ISBN: 9780230006713
Worley, M. , eds. (2008) Palmiro Togliatti: a political biography. Communist Lives I B Tauris pp 352. ISBN: 9781845117269
Worley, M. (2008) A call to action: new party candidates and the 1931 General Election. Parliamentary History , 27 (2). pp. 236-255. ISSN: 1750-0206 | doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1750-0206.2008.00038.x
Worley, M. (2008) Towards a comparative history of Communism: a survey of the British and German Communist Parties to 1933. Contemporary British History , 22 (2). pp. 227-255. ISSN: 1743-7997 | doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13619460701189575
Worley, M. (2008) The Soviet Union and Bolshevism abroad. In: Atkin, N. , (eds.) Themes in Modern Euorpean History, 1890-1945. Routledge pp 416. ISBN: 9780415391849

Worley, M. (2007) Activism: editorial. Socialist History (32). ISSN: 0969-4331
Worley, M. (2007) Who makes the Nazis? North west experiences of the New Party, 1931-32. North West Labour History Journal , 32 pp. 7-15. ISSN: 1362-6302
Worley, M. (2007) What was the new party? Sir Oswald Mosley and associated responses to the ‘crisis’, 1931−1932. History , 92 (305). pp. 39-63. ISSN: 1468-229X | doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-229X.2007.00385.x

Worley, M. (2006) Reckitt, Eva Collet (1890-1976). Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Oxford University Press , Oxford, UK. | doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1093/ref:odnb/68893

Worley, M. , Ball, . , Thorpe, . (2005) Elections, leaflets and whist drives: constituency party members in Britain between the wars. In: Worley, M. , (eds.) Labour's grass roots: essays on the activities of local Labour parties and members, 1918-45. Studies in Labour history Ashgate Publishing , Aldershot, UK. pp. 7-32. ISBN: 9780754640073
Worley, M. (2005) Labour inside the gate: a history of the British Labour Party between the Wars. I.B. Tauris & Co. Ltd , London. pp 256. ISBN: 9781850437987
Worley, M. , eds. (2005) Labour's grass roots: essays on the activities of local Labour parties and members, 1918-45. Studies in Labour history Ashgate , Aldershot, UK. pp 390. ISBN: 9780754640073
Worley, M. (2005) Building the party: Labour party activism in five British counties between the wars. Labour History Review , 70 (1). pp. 73-95. ISSN: 0961-5652
Worley, M. (2005) Introduction: Labour's grass roots. In: Worley, M. , (eds.) Labour's grass roots: essays on the activities local Labour parties and members, 1918-45. Studies in Labour history Ashgate , Aldershot, UK. pp. 1-6. ISBN: 9780754640073

Worley, M. and Flinn, A. , eds. (2004) Youth cultures and politics. Socialist History Journal , 26. Socialist History Society ISBN: 1854891596
Hunt, K. and Worley, M. (2004) Rethinking British Communist Party women in the 1920s. Twentieth Century British History , 15 (1). pp. 1-27. ISSN: 1477-4674 | doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1093/tcbh/15.1.1
Ball, S. , Thorpe, A. , Worley, M. (2004) Researching the grass roots: the records of constituency level political parties in five British counties, 1918-1945. Archives , 110 pp. 72-94. ISSN: 0003-9535
Worley, M. (2004) Echoes from the dustbin of history: a reply to John McIlroy and Alan Campbell. Labour History Review , 69 (3). pp. 367-372. ISSN: 0961-5652
Worley, M. , eds. (2004) In search of revolution: international Communist parties in the third period. I. B. Tauris , London. pp 400. ISBN: 9781850434078
Worley, M. (2004) To the left and back again: the Communist Party of Great Britain and the third period. In: Worley, M. , (eds.) In search of revolution: international communist parties in the third period. I.B. Tauris , London. pp. 65-87. ISBN: 9781850434078
Worley, M. (2004) Courting disaster? The Comintern and the Third Period. In: Worley, M. , (eds.) In search of revolution: international Communist parties in the Third Period. I.B. Tauris , London. pp. 1-17. ISBN: 9781850434078

Matthew Worley

Areas of interest

Postgraduate supervision

Teaching

Research centres and groups

Impact and public engagement

Publications

2023

2022

2021

2020

2018

2017

2016

2015

2014

2013

2012

2011

2010

2009

2008

2007

2006

2005

2004