That's You & The working-class philosophy of Tom Leonard

Abstract

This thesis is composed of two parts. The creative component is a collection of poems that navigate contemporary working-class experience. Written in Glaswegian dialect, the poems chart the life of a male speaker through a complicated childhood into new perspectives, drawing attention to the complexities of class and masculinity. The poems also examine the relationship between class and the environment and consider Scottish identity at a moment of political and cultural change. In so doing, they engage with an international approach to literary form and tradition and seek to understand how working-class representation can be understood in these terms. The critical component explores the poetry of Tom Leonard, suggesting that his representation of working-class identity can be illuminated with attention to his application of existentialist humanism. Chapter 1 analyses Leonard’s writing in working-class dialect with a view to understanding his reaction to literary tradition and his complicated position within Scottish and British literature. Chapter 2 examines his existentialist ideas by reading his poetry alongside the work of Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir. Chapter 3 scrutinises his perception of media and political and colonial power.

Thesis is embargoed until 31 July 2028.

Date of Award	Jul 2023
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	Queen's University Belfast
Sponsors	Northern Ireland Department for the Economy
Supervisor	Michael Pierse (Supervisor) & Stephen Sexton (Supervisor)