“Is a situation being engineered where we are being encouraged to believe that prisoners are inherently violent, beasts that require their guards to be armed … Is a culture in prisons being manufactured that promotes violence and creates divisions?”
From 2018
jmmoore.org/2018/10/21/p...
Cover of Bad Fiction by Rebecca Sarah Ley
2026, no. 17
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Bad Fiction by Rebecca Sarah Ley.
An elite university creative writing course taught by a successful novelist. What could go wrong? A tale of the abuse of power, plagiarism, unwanted (and wanted) sex and the desperate desire to be published. An enjoyable read.
Cover of the book Moses Ascending by Sam Selvon
2026, no. 16
⭐️⭐️
Moses Ascending by Sam Selvon
Picks up the story of Moses from Lonely Londoners. Big disappointment with Moses (& Selvon?) having become increasingly cynical. Unpleasant stereotypes of people from the Indian sub-continent and Black activists. Also horridly misogynistic.
2026, no. 15
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Murder or accident? A brilliant story, set in the Afghanistan diaspora in the USA that unfolds through the short statements of a range of witnesses (everyone except the family and police). Fascinating structure that left me none the wiser. Would make a great book club read.
I was born in an Iranian prison. My parents were held in their jails. My uncles lie in their mass graves. Nothing you can tell me about the crimes of the Iranian regime that I haven't lived in blood and bone. That doesn't mean I want my people bombed, maimed, killed, their homes in ruins. If your vision of liberation comes only through the destruction of innocent lives, then it's not freedom you're after. Sahar Delijani, Iranian author
I am pro Iranian people. I stand with them against their own government’s repression AND against the imperial violence in the form of bombs dropped from the sky from Israel & the US who have already killed hundreds.
I support neither imperialism or dictatorship.
Sahar Delijani said it best:
2026. No. 14
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Jean by Madeleine Dunnigan
1976 Boarding School, catering for troubled boys. Beautiful writing capturing the loves, lusts and angst of 17 year olds. Enjoyable read but some unnecessary shoddiness in historic research. Not a problem unless, like me, you were 18 in 1976
2026, No. 13
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What worries us and what should worry us. As usual with Dorling, grounded in often surprising statistics. I was struck by how much of what we worry about is determined by the 1%, to their great advantage. Fascinating stuff, although sections on “crime” were a little superficial.
2026. No. 12.
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Meditations on art and relationships which I found quite boring. Others loved it, I want to join in with the heckling. Struggled to finish.
Essay centred around Queen Victoria’s birthday party on the penal settlement in Norfolk Island exploring debates about the functions of state punishment which continue (and are actually discourses of legitimisation).
jmmoore.org/2024/04/29/d...
2026, No 11
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A collection published with days of Kissinger’s death. If read in Hell, Kissinger will be very welcomed. Reinforces both the extent to which he was responsible for so much evil and how he was part of a system that is the real evil. Read it & become a more committed revolutionary.
2026. No. 10
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Wow, what a novel. Ex-president Bhutto is hanged and Hanif explores the reaction in OK Town, through the eyes of a range of well drawn characters. A serious satire of postcolonial Pakistan, Booker prize contender and a strongly recommended read. Loved it ❤️❤️
2026, No. 9
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Husband disappears only to return years later and get into a fight leaving a man dead. Running away/road trip follows. Enjoyable read and better than other recent road trip novels.
How I responded to the question – What bit of criminal justice would you give up?
Resisting the Traitorous Temptation of Criminal Justice
Thanks, I have been working on taking the analysis further back and increasingly thinking the English state was always violently punitive, even before empire. Hope all is good with you? Maybe see you at the EG?
May be of interest to historians of criminology. Drafted for teaching I thought it was worth sharing on my blog.
Is the Empire coming home?
This 2014 paper examines the relationship between neoliberalism and the increased use of incarceration in the British state, incorporating colonial experiences into the discourse. It contends that current punitive measures are not a new phenomenon but rather a…
Osunde shares the music the characters are playing. The full playlist is here: open.spotify.com/playlist/0D4...
The cover of Eloghosa Osunde’s novel Necessary Fiction
2026, No. 8
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Amazing book, 5⭐️ felt inadequate. Lagos, queer community, families (birth & chosen) and a host of characters I fell madly in love with 💕💕. Brilliant writing and a joy to read, it is what it says on the cover: Necessary Fiction
2026, no. 6
⭐️
Disappointing read. The major developments of abolitionism in the 21st century are largely ignored. Abolition organising struggled in the 1980s in the UK due to contradictions in its analysis, thinking which remains central to this book.
Just Us
At demonstrations protesting police killings and deaths in state custody the slogan “No Justice, No Peace” is a recurring chant. Those protesting the violence and brutality of the state and its agents repeatedly cry out for justice, an appeal, by implication, to the very same state’s…
2027, no. 7
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Brighton, student night club, families (biological and queer), pregnancy and love ❤️. I loved the writing, the characters and the story ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
Read it!
2026, no. 5.
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Started engrossed by the story, but an abrupt move to another character’s story and then onto a third central character made it a bit disjointed. Sadly, it never came together. But each part worked on its own giving a fascinating window into Pakistan.
2026, no. 4
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Brilliant collection of essays that demonstrates that what is presented as natural is in fact a human construction. We can create a better world, many of the ingredients already exist.
Photo of Verso books
@versobooks.bsky.social sale❤️🙏
2026, no. 3
⭐️⭐️ A classic that foresaw the future? Or a dated middle class winge about the unwashed? Condemns the mob without any analysis of who is driving them and the interests they promote.
2026, no. 2
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An utterly enthralling account of partition. Awesome writing, had me gripped from the first page. Highly recommended.
Just Us
At demonstrations protesting police killings and deaths in state custody the slogan “No Justice, No Peace” is a recurring chant. Those protesting the violence and brutality of the state and its agents repeatedly cry out for justice, an appeal, by implication, to the very same state’s…
✊💚✊💚✊💚
2026, no. 1.
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Part political satire, part whodunnit, part memoir. Truth like innocence proves very slippery. Conservative think tanks, oxbridge, class and the anger of the right. Enjoyable read, recommended.
Cover of the book Misinterpretion
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Final read from the Booker longlist. Enjoyed this tale of translation and mistranslation. Dentists, psychologists, husbands, and the insecurities of borders.
Recommend
