Proletarian Poetry (PP) is a home for poets and poems that portray working class lives from many different angles; corrugated iron and bricks, brass bands, rogues, grandparents, historical figures, imprisoned poets, the contradictions of capitalism and communism, suffragettes, homeless, transgender revolutionaries, postman, bookmakers, and many, many more. It is currently closed but operated between the years 2014 and 2020, featuring over 150 contemporary poets.
Its title is a tribute to the US movement of the 1920s with such poets as Langston Hughes (Read more: Introduction)
It is intended to include all forms of poetry: persona, personal, plain, lyrical, vernacular, and performance. Poems will of course cover the struggle but will also celebrate the everyday of working class life. Poems that pick out the unusual, the unsaid, and the unpopular.
PP is edited by Peter Raynard. Peter is a disabled working class poet, and editor. He is a former member of Malika’s Poetry Kitchen. In 2018, with Jane Commane he represented Coventry in Cork as part of an annual exchange between the two cities. His debut collection, ‘Precarious’ was published in April, 2018 by Smokestack Books. He has also written The Combination: a poetic coupling of the Communist Manifesto, published by Culture Matters. His latest book ‘Manland‘ was published by Nine Arches Press in July 2022. His debut pamphlet, The Harlot and the Rake: poems after William Hogarth will be published in 2023 by Culture Matters.
You can buy Manland direct from Peter for £10 (incl. P&P UK only) or £13 (incl. P&P worldwide).
You can buy Precarious directly from Peter for £8 (incl P&P UK only), or £12 (incl P&P worldwide).
You can buy The Combination direct from Peter for £8 (incl P&P UK only)
OR OR OR OR OR
You can buy all three directly from Peter for £25 (incl P&P – UK only), or £30 (incl P&P worldwide)
The header pictures are from Franco Clivio‘s collection of everyday objects.
Proletarian Poetry 
Hi, Refreshing to see and read this site. Well done for setting it up.
Martin Espada and Fred Voss, who you are probably aware of, are poets well worth publicising.
Both celebrate the working class in a positive way.
Owen Gallagher, ‘Tea with the Taliban’, Smokestack Books, 2012.
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Thanks very much Owen and for following. I love Espada’s Alabanza and read Fred Voss on the Morning Star’s Well Versed this week so will include them on my ever growing list. It would be great if I could feature a poem of your own at some point. I like the premise of your book and it resonates from my own experience with my Father born in the Gorbals and having been ‘mobile’ myself.
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Nice to see this site dedicated to proletarian poetry. Great contemporary proletarian poetry, including poets like Voss, is still being published in the Blue Collar Review.
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Hello. Love your site. Please consider works from my poetry Ebook. “SpiceRack Life Flavors 2 Savor.” It is the story of my life (I’m 51) as a multi-ethnic American Single Parent women working in a Male Dominated Field. It is currently listed in the Hot New Releases in Kindle Ebooks on Amazon.com in the Women’s Poetry Genre. Thanks for your time. Blessings, Ginger Jones
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Hi Ginger, thank you for your comment. Your book sounds interesting and inspiring. I will add you to my list. Could you suggest one of your poems that could be included on the site.
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Hi Mr. Raynard. The poem entitled “Petal to the Metal” is my suggested poem to you from my book. Thanks for your quick response to my reply. I work nights and am headed to sleep now, but, I am usually up between 1pm & 5pm Eastern Standard Time. My current days off are Thursday & Friday. I look forward to your comments. I am already enjoying your website. Blessings, Ginger
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Hi Peter,
Nice to know I share some history with your dad. I Ilved in Nicholson Street and Eglinton Street.
I liked your poem ‘Pure Gold’ on the HappenStance site. Please feel free to use any poem you consider from the book. There was one posted on the Morning Star site recently.
Socialist wishes,
Owen
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Thanks Owen, I’ll be in touch. Peter
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Just discovered your site through Roy Marshall. I’ve been looking for such a site for years. Would you take a look at my 2014 collection Welcome to the Bike Factory, published by Shoestring Press? It’s reviewed in the current PN Review and in London Grip.
Best wishes, Derrick Buttress
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Thanks Derrick. I would be really interested in your collection. Peter
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Thank you Peter, I would love to send you one. How do I get it to you? Derrick
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So much info in so few words. Tosloty could learn a lot.
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Hi Peter, thanks for following my blog. Even if the poetry presented here is not always “to my taste”, the additional information around it is never less than interesting, and often fascinating. Good work!
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Thanks for following and your comments Al. It is always good to hear peoples’ views on my commentary. I look forward to reading your blog. Cheers, Peter
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I’ve co-edited ‘Red Poets’ in Wales for 20 years and both Owen Gallagher and Jonathan Edwards have featured in a number of issues. Would you be interested in featuring a poem? I am writing a series in Merthyr dialect based on one of my best mates who is on benefits and sofa surfing.
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Thanks Mike. I have just sent you an email.
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Hi Peter, I came to the PP event on 27 June, and enjoyed it. I thought you might be interested in below events in South Bank; especially the launch of ‘Scorched Glass’, where Sabeer Haka’s poems will be read – Sabeer is a construction worker and lives in Tehran/Iran.
http://www.mptmagazine.com/poem/mulberries-714/
http://www.southbankcentre.co.uk/whatson/out-of-the-shadows-translatin-92247
http://www.southbankcentre.co.uk/whatson/scorched-glass-iranian-poetry-92260?dt=2015-07-25
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Hi Nasrin, I remember, I put your email address down for The Shuffle. Thanks for following PP and for the information about the event at the South Bank. I cannot make the event but would however, like to feature Sabeer’s poems. I will email you this week if that is okay. Best wishes, Peter
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Hi Peter,
Sure, you can email me anytime.
Best wishes, Nasrin
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Oi Oi Peter . Got some poems I would like to submit. Show me the way.
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Hi Joe, you can email me at peter.raynard@gmail.com Best wishes, Peter
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cheers Peter you can have a read of some stuff here but will send you some specific submissions – https://hankeypankeyblog.wordpress.com
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I have shared tweets with you on Twitter. I am so glad to discover this page as it is ‘music to my heart’. I write poetry, prose and non-fiction the bulk of my work reflects on 30 years of conflict here in the North of Ireland, human fragility and social isolation. I have been criticised by some people with accusations of polemics. I don’t give a shit. Some of my stuff could be viewed as polemical, so what. Rant for today.
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This is a great site
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Thanks very much Antony
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A beautiful site, with such excellence! A great gift to finally find it!
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I’m excited to find this site . I’m a Glaswegian writing about political & social histoty from a feminist viewpoint. As well as my pamphlet Much left Unsaid, my poems are widely published including in IANASP, the Grenfell Anthology & International Times. I would love to have a poem on this terrific site !
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Hi Finola, thank you for kind comments about the site. I’m afraid that after five years PP has closed for submissions. I have only opened it for people who have books out during the lockdown, so they can promote it. That also will close soon. Best wishes, Peter
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I have just discovered this site, it’s great. As a working class poet myself it’s so good to come across other working class poets. Reminds me that I’m not the only one. My selected poems it published by Parthian, I’d like to send you a copy. Where do I send it?
Topher Mills
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