A lyrical tour of life as a young working-class man born into the first days of the 20th century, Caliban Shrieks is a lost masterpiece of 1930s British literature. WITH NEW INTRODUCTIONS BY ANDREW McMILLAN AND JACK CHADWICKCaliban Shrieks’ narrator went from a childhood of poverty, yet joy and freedom, to the punishing grind of factory life and the idiocy of being sent blindly into war. He was turned out of the army a vagrant—seeing England from city to city, county to county—before being thrust back into an uncertain cycle of working life as it unfolded in the post-war years.

A story of men and women lost, wandering—and angrily dreaming of a better, fairer England, Hilton’s autobiographical novel is a bold modernist retelling of the myth of how we find ourselves disenfranchised from the world and sold into a slavery of our making. Lost to time, only to be rediscovered again in the Salford's Working Class Movement Library in 2022, Caliban Shrieks is a working-class masterpiece of British literature, and continues to speak as brash and impassioned as it did on its first rave publication in 1935.

Why You Should Read?

• Provides a bold, modernist retelling of the myth of disenfranchisement and self-imposed slavery.
• Offers a lyrical tour through the life of a young working-class man in early 20th-century Britain.
• Presents a unique narrative voice that stands out within its genre.
• Explores the transformative journey from childhood joy to the harsh realities of factory life and war.

About the Author

Jack Hilton is the author of "Caliban Shrieks," a rediscovered masterpiece of 1930s British literature. Born into the working class, Hilton's life experiences deeply informed his writing, offering a raw and authentic portrayal of early 20th-century struggles. His autobiographical novel provides a poignant exploration of themes such as poverty, war, and the search for identity. Hilton's work resonates with a unique narrative voice, marking him as a significant figure in working-class literature.