- 288 pages
- English
- ePUB (mobile friendly)
- Available on iOS & Android
About this book
Over a dozen years into austerity, statistical warning lights are flashing to suggest a return to types of deprivation we once imagined we had consigned to history. In the decade up to the pandemic, the official count of rough sleepers and recorded malnutrition in hospital patients both doubled, while recourse to food banks rocketed by an order of magnitude.
And yet it has never been statistics but rather individual human stories – from the fictionalised accounts of Dickens to the faithful reporting of Orwell and Priestley – that have seared the reality of hard times into the public imagination. In Broke, Tom Clark assembles today's masters of social reportage to go deep into the communities so often ignored by politicians, introducing us to those at the hardest end of the poverty crisis. Contributions from Jem Bartholomew, Cal Flyn, Dani Garavelli, Frances Ryan, Samira Shackle, Daniel Trilling and Jennifer Williams and a foreword by Kerry Hudson unflinchingly reveal the contemporary experience of cold, hunger, homelessness, disease, debt, disability, punishing work and an immigration system that makes people destitute by design.
With Joel Goodman's photography bringing the characters to life, and some of the writers having had first-hand experience of the issues raised, Broke blends powerful human stories with analysis of the policies that have led us to this point – and the reforms we urgently need.
All royalties will be donated to Leeds Asylum Seekers' Support Network
Frequently asked questions
- Essential is ideal for learners and professionals who enjoy exploring a wide range of subjects. Access the Essential Library with 800,000+ trusted titles and best-sellers across business, personal growth, and the humanities. Includes unlimited reading time and Standard Read Aloud voice.
- Complete: Perfect for advanced learners and researchers needing full, unrestricted access. Unlock 1.4M+ books across hundreds of subjects, including academic and specialized titles. The Complete Plan also includes advanced features like Premium Read Aloud and Research Assistant.
Please note we cannot support devices running on iOS 13 and Android 7 or earlier. Learn more about using the app.
Information
Table of contents
- Title Page
- Contents
- Foreword by Kerry Hudson
- Introduction: Face to face with Britain’s new penury: Tom Clark
- Chapter 1: Uprooted: No place like home: Jem Bartholomew
- Chapter 2: The hungry twenties: Samira Shackle
- Chapter 3: Cold comfort: The new struggle for heat: Cal Flyn
- Chapter 4: Pay later? Of debt and dread: Jennifer Williams
- Chapter 5: A window on frailty: From deprivation to disease: Dani Garavelli
- Chapter 6: The ‘cost-of-staying-alive crisis’: Disability today: Frances Ryan
- Chapter 7: Destitute by design: Trapped in the immigration system: Daniel Trilling
- Chapter 8: Atomised, but not alone: Work and resistance in the gig economy: Jem Bartholomew
- Conclusion: A fix for being broke? From insight to action: Tom Clark
- Resources
- Acknowledgements
- Contributors
- Copyright