Shamsie

At a time that feels unprecedented in British politics - with unlawful prorogations of parliament, casual race-baiting by senior politicians, and a climate crisis that continues to be ignored - it's easy to think these are uncharted waters for us, as a democracy. But Britain has seen political crises and far-right extremism before, just as it has witnessed regressive, heavy-handed governments. Much worse has been done, or allowed to be done, in the name of the people and eventually, those same people have called it out, stood up, and resisted. In this new collection of fictions and essays spanning two millennia of British protest, authors, historians, and activists re-imagine twenty acts of defiance: campaigns to change unjust laws, protests against unlawful acts, uprisings successful and unsuccessful - from Boudica to Blair Peach, from the Battle of Cable Street to the tragedy of Grenfell Tower. Britain might not be famous for its revolutionary spirit, but its people know when to draw the line, and say very clearly, '!No pasaran!'

In the wake of the social and political turmoil of Brexit and a climate crisis that continues to be ignored, it's easy to think these are uncharted waters for us, as a democracy. But Britain has seen political crises and far-right extremism before. In this timely collection of fiction and essays celebrating key moments of British protest, writers fight back with well-researched, historically accurate fiction. From Boudica to Blair Peach, from the Battle of Cable Street to the tragedy of Grenfell Tower, these stories demonstrate when people have stood up and resisted in the face of injustice. In our age of fake news and post-truth politics, Britons still know when to draw the line and say '¡No pasarán!'