On Monday, 31lst May, Fontana Books published, with New Left Review, a thick volume cf socialist essays under the title: "Towards Socialism." This symposium, edited by Perry Anderson and Robin Blackburn, aims at laying the basis for a.socielist analysis of British society, and for an aggressive socialist strategy relevant to the needs and prospects of today. Socialism emerges from its pages not as a distant and sentimental concept fit to trim the secular sermons of Labour leaders, but as a vital and immediate perspective, an affsir of this world rather than the next,
Contributions to the symposium include, besides the editors, Thomas Balegh, Ken Coates, Richard Crossman, Andre Gorg, Tom Nairn, Richerd Titmuss, John Westergaard and Raymond Williams. The Week's concern with the struggle for democracy is amply reflected in the contributions of many of the writers, especially those of Gorz and Coates. Anderson's piece will initiate a discussion which will involve the whole left movement not enly in Britain, but probably much farther afield as well. This is a most serious volume, which demands extended treatment. A first review will appear in our next issue, to be followed by further comments.
Already the capitalist press have risen to the stimulus provided by this book. On Monday, both the Times and Daily Telegraph featured editorials on the book, and the challenge of the New Left. That evening Perry Anderson was invited to speak on the BBC news programme, Ten O'clock, Asked in what way he would behave differently from Mr. Wilson in domestic policy, he led off with an outline of the policy for e democratic steel bill which has been so extensively discussed among WeekâVoice-N.L.H. readera in recent months,