posted on 07 Nov 2023

The Cleft Stick by Walter Greenwood with illustration by Arthur Wragg

I would imagine that the majority of people who have heard of Walter Greenwood will have done so because he is the author of the novel Love On The Dole which was published in 1932 and is one of the outstanding condemnations of poverty and the tribulations of the working class during the Depression years. Greenwood came from Salford, was largely self-educated and he joined the Labour Party working for them during periods of his own unemplyment.

His popularity and influence never again matched the peaks he reached with Love On The Dole but he did continue writing short stories that described the world he came from and in which he continued to live. The Cleft Stick is a collection of short stories that reveal the way in which the working class are remorsely exploited -  hence the sub-title "It's the same the whole world over" - but there is humanity and humour here too and the tales are full of working class colour. While these stories are an interesting contribution to the fiction of the working class, they are not in themselves special.

What raises this collection to greater heights and makes them  delightful and desirable is the fact that the book has been lavishly illustrated by the work of Arthur Wragg. Wragg was a Christian Socialist who trained as a commercial graphic artist and contributed extensively to left-wing newspapers and other publications as well as undertaking commissions for book jackets and magazines.

He used a simplified block print style that produced luminous black and white illustrations and the simplicity of the approach never compromised the subtlety of the message. Wragg's work could stand on it's own without the need for a text and still tell a compelling tale.

The copy I have is the 1937 first edition published by Selwyn and Blount and these can still be purchased for a little over £10.00 in very good condition - which is extraordinary.

Go and get one and enjoy!

Terry Potter

November 2023