The Underground Sea
The Underground Sea by John Berger is a concise collection of writings drawn from his archive, published by Canongate Books in 2024. This edition, comprising 120 pages, presents Berger’s insights on mineworkers and the miners’ strikes, edited to resonate with contemporary issues surrounding collective action. The work includes transcripts and an image-essay from his rarely-seen BBC program, Germinal, alongside interviews and his essay titled “Miners,” all centered around a Derbyshire mining village and the daily life within a pit community.
Readers will find a thoughtful exploration of the politics of witness as Berger examines the labor of miners and the social dynamics of their community. The text reflects on themes of precarity and the historical context of mining, while also drawing connections to literary influences, such as Zola’s work. This collection serves as a timely reflection on the significance of collective action and the enduring impact of the mining industry on society.
Official synopsis Publisher
The Underground Sea is a succinct, urgent collection of writing from John Berger’s archive. It brings together for the first time his work on mineworkers and the miners’ strikes and has been edited as a set of actions for today. Publication of The Underground Sea marks the 40th Anniversary of the 1984-5 Strike, at a time when people are rediscovering the necessity, power and possibilities of collective action. Including transcripts and image-essay of his rarely-seen BBC programme, Germinal; interviews and his essay ‘Miners’, it places itself in the heart of a Derbyshire mining village, with reflections on the everyday life of a typical pit community. Berger grapples with the politics of witness as he studies the miners’ labour and the wider community shaped in service to this work. Reflecting on their precarity, he goes back to Zola’s novel for hope that ‘a new world is germinating underneath the ground. And when it arrives, it will crack open the earth.’
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