Les Back
@academicdiary
I teach sociology at the University of Glasgow and my interests are learning, teaching, books, ideas, culture and music.
Something new - A Qualitative Research Renaissance - if you’d like a .pdf, please just message me. Be happy to share
Thanks to all the staff and students at The Grove Academy - what a brilliant session. It was wonderful to lead you all in some spontaneous football chanting in the classroom - brilliant!
Fantastic day at Grove Academy, Balham, London going to give a talk to the sixth formers and teachers for this Sociological Review Foundation sponsored event on Class, Culture & Discontents
I love this little free library on Queens Park in Glasgow. I routinely reposition my own books in it… lovely when they disappear quickly. Academic Diary deposited last night was gone this morning.
Never prouder thank today to be a citizen of Glasgow. The fascists returned to Buchanan Street again in their hundreds and were opposed by people in their thousands. Nae pasaran!
Thanks to everyone who came to the event on The Calypso Kings, Stuart Hall and Music with Mykaell Riley for the Stuart Hall Archive today. Wonderful to see so many old friend and comrades from anti-racist politics in Brum in a packed BRIG Cafe.
Great to be back in Birmingham spent wonderful years here in the 90s and gave myself to this great coy. Always shocks me to confront The Midland Hotel where Enoch Powell gave his infamous ‘Rivers of Blood’ speech in the 1968. More sobering in our time where Powellism is alive and kicking.
My pleasure… I loved listening to Stuart but also it was a reminder of the sadness of his loss. Visited his grave last week to tend a different kind of English garden.
Remembering dear friend Caspar Melville today who died last year. Caspar and I would take Goldsmiths students on an annual pop music history walks around Soho, London. Sorely missed RIP. A beautiful spirit.
Just finished writing a feature on Laurie Taylor @ 90 for a Sociological Review Magazine… what a life Laurie has led. Should be out in May. He is recording a new season of Thinking Allowed at the moment for BBC Radio 4. 28 years of putting socioligy on the airwaves. 👏👏👏
Michael is the best guide to London’s secrets. More than 50 bodies wash up on Thames beaches every year the river police and the landlocked Met fight over those corpses and the enquiries that inequitably follow in order to justify their existence. Am returning with other souvenirs and sights
On Stepney Beach with dear friend and sparring partner Michael Keith. So good to see Michael, sharing stories by the Thames in the sunshine.
Hoping to get the words out for Linton tonight… wonderful to be reminded of the depth of his contribution.
A small pilgrimage and a prayer for the victims of the New Cross massacre on my way to the event for LKJ tonight. Not forgotten.
It was my birthday last week… this wonderful record was the best of gifts marking BB King’s centenary. Derek Trucks says in the liner notes that BB was a ‘real life Santa Claus’.
Here’s the details off Ben Carrington’s talk next week. Ben gave our Frisby Lecture at the University of Glasgow a couple of years ago. His award is really well deserved.
Sad to hear of Steve Cropper’s passing today. He made such a contribution to the music of the civil rights era. I interviewed him for this piece in 1999. Rest in soul…
In the Taybridge Bar, Dundee watching the old firm game and making a little musical pilgrimage for the late great Michael Marra… 💔
With dear friend Professor Lez Henry (aka Lesley Lyrics) at the farewell for Dj and world builder June Reid.
Saying goodbye today to Queen June Reid who wore the ‘crown of righteousness’. June chose a poem by David Harkins to be read as a farewell -“smile, open your eyes (and ears), love and go on.” A beautiful generous soul gone but not forgotten.
I never really thought I had the literary chops for writing fiction, but @awtsn.bsky.social persuaded me to do this for her SO-Fi magazine for the Glasgow special.
With my dear friend Michael Keith this week in Wapping. When we worked together at Goldsmiths I always thought we were like the academic Odd Couple! He was Jack Lemon though, the good looking one. Still the sharpest of minds. He almost smiles too 😘
No secrets from you, Brenda. Kirkdale Bookshop in Sydenham. They have a lovely preloved section too. I picked up an ancient copy of Izaak Walton’s The Compleat Angler for my brother’s 70th birthday. Couple of old cockney geezers!
Found this in my favourite independent book shop in South London congratulations, Alice. 👏👏👏 @uofgsociology.bsky.social
So pleased to speak at this celebration of Michael Bull’s work in Lewes this week. Suitably it was in a local jazz venue with Bird and Monk blasting out. Michael mention a teacher had described him as an “academic dabbler” the highest possible form of praise in my mind.