Red Pepper is an independent UK magazine of the political left. I was first invited to write for them while at university, in 2006, and my writing and interests have developed considerably since then. I’m now a Commissioning Editor involved in the development and continued success of the magazine. I enjoy finding new writers and bringing them into the fold, as others did with me. Get in touch if you’re interested in joining the team.

I focus on grassroots activism, international politics, feminism, film and culture.

International Politics

• Occupy: A Turning Point in US Politics? (December 2011) Reflections from occupiers during the early days of Occupy DC.
  

  Lead image from “Casualties of War” article

• Youth rises against bloodshed in Mexico, armed with poetry and art (April 2011) Report on the growing protest backlash against the war on drugs in Mexico (follow-up to article below).

• Mexico: The casualties of war (February 2011) Behind the bloody headlines of Mexico’s war on drugs, creeping militarism and corruption is silencing public dissent. In-depth analysis of how government policy failures are leading to social breakdown.

• Wake Up and Smell the Roses (May 2008) Report on the exploitative traffic of roses from Kenya, written during the post-election riots and crackdowns in 2008.

Grassroots / Arts Activism

• Media empowerment (September 2010) Interview with the Adbusters Media Foundation editor Kale Lasn

• From Barking to Venice (September 2010) Coverage of the collaborative art and architecture practice muf, representing the UK at the Venice Biennial.

• All together now (July 2010) Analysis of the feminist fightback against cuts, arguing for grassroots involvement.

• Putting the protest back in Pride (July 2010) Analysis of the fight to reclaim Pride from commercial interests, in Manchester and beyond.

• Slash and Burn at the Beeb (July 2010) Rounding up alternative visions for the BBC in response to their controversial, budget slashing White Paper.

• Feelbad Britain: Many Paths (July 2009) Analysis of the issue’s essay article regarding the future of the left in Britain.  See here for the original essay feature.

• Occupations against the Occupation (May 2009) Reporting from the Student Occupation for Gaza at the University of Manchester.

Film

• Epitaph to a generation (March 2012) Interview with celebrated black British filmmaker and artist, John Akomfrah

• Crowd Allowed (August 2011) Coverage of Just Do It a crowd-funded documentary on direct action and environmentalism.

• Film review: Unwrapping the drugs debate (July 2011) Review of Cocaine Unwrapped, a documentary on the global drug trade.

• From kitchen sink to fish tank (June 2011) A potted history of social realism in British cinema. Accompanies article on how the genre is starting to make a comeback, which is here.

• Beating Burma’s blackout (Dec 2009) Report on the making and marketing of Oscar-nominated documentary, Burma VJ.

• Letting People Speak (March 2008) Interview with documentarian Kim Longinotto.