'Mixing Pop and Politics' a lively and pertinent debate with Toby Manning

What a topical and pertinent treat of an event this will be!

Mixing Pop and Politics: a Marxist History of Popular Music

Join author Toby Manning for debate & discussion as we explore his excellent new book 'Mixing Pop and Politics'. It's radical history of the political and social upheavals of the last 70 years, told through the period’s most popular music.

Mixing Pop and Politics isn’t just a history of political music, but a political history of popular music: spanning the early 50s to the present, it shows how, from doo-wop to hip-hop, punk to crunk and grunge to grime, music has either reflected or resisted the political events and ideologies of its era.

At a time when reactionary forces are waging political war in the realm of culture, Mixing Pop and Politics is a timely, defiant exploration of popular music’s role in our society.

We have two ticket options available: * Event Only and *Event with Discounted Book Combo deal - books will be available for collection at the Festival.

Our event will be followed by a dedicated signing event with Toby. RRP books will also be available for purchase on the day.

About the Author:

Toby Manning is the author of The Rough Guide to Pink Floyd (2006) and John le Carré and the Cold War (2018, and a contributor to David Pattie and Sean Albiez’s The Velvet Underground: What’s Going On (2022) and Talking Heads (forthcoming, 2025). Toby Manning’s writing on popular culture has appeared in The Guardian, The Independent, New Statesman, Sight and Sound, Arena, The Face, NME, Q and The Word. He has taught at Birmingham, Brunel and Queen Mary universities and at City Lit College, London.

Host or Publisher Louder Than Words Festival