Matthew Worley

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+44 (0) 118 378 6582
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Professor of Modern History
History REF and Impact Lead
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 successfully supervised a number of PhD students and am always keen to do so. I would welcome students interested in questions of youth and music culture, British twentieth-century politics, communism, socialism and fascism. My own focus tends to be British, but PhDs related to European, US and wider world manifestations of these subjects would be of great interest.
Teaching
My teaching responsibilities include:
- An MA option, 'Building a New Jerusalem: The Labour Party, 1900-45
- A 'special' third-year module, 'Anarchy in the UK: Punk, Politics and Youth Culture, 1976-84'
- A third-year module, 'Political Extremism in Britain between the Wars'
- A second-year module, 'From War to the New Millennium: Making Modern Britain'
- A first-year option, 'Noise Annoys, A Soundtrack to British History, 1945-90'
Research centres and groups
- Subcultures Network
- I am a co-founder and editor of Twentieth Century Communism
Research projects
My current research is directed towards the link between politics and youth culture in post-45 Britain. This has led to the publication of No Future: Politics, Punk and Society, 1976-84 (CUP, 2017), alongside various articles, chapters and edited collections. I am a co-founder of the Subcultures Network (for further information please click here)
Publications
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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 ISSN: 1743-7997
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Smith, E.
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Worley, M.
ORCID: 0000-0002-3049-8714 , eds. (2021) The British left and Ireland in the twentieth century. Routledge , London. pp 186. ISBN: 9780367701468
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Henry, W.
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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