Early Socialist Writers in Britain

This book examines the political thought expressed in the imaginative fiction of three prominent British writers and its contribution to the development of socialism, particularly through the prism of the Labour Party. It traces this influence from the late nineteenth century through much of the twentieth century and concludes by considering its relevance to socialism and the Labour Party in the twenty-first century. The three writers—William Morris, Bernard Shaw, and H. G. Wells—first met at meetings of the Socialist League in London and knew each other well. However, their hopes and expectations for the future differed profoundly, as did the nature of their respective contributions to the development of socialism in Britain. This book explores the political philosophy of each writer as manifested primarily in their creative work and assesses the impact of that work on the evolution of socialism in Britain.