Episode 10: Darren McGarvey - Middle Classics
A conversation about class, inequality and the culture wars with Darren McGarvey, bestselling author of Poverty Safari.
In Episode 10, author, activist, broadcaster and journalist Darren ‘Loki’ McGarvey joined us to talk about the much-anticipated follow-up to his Orwell Prize-winning international bestseller Poverty Safari.
Darren (or as I first knew him, Loki) has a very high profile in the UK and beyond these days, so I am almost certain his work and public speaking have appeared on the radar of the majority of our listeners. If not, here’s how I know him, and why I wanted to get him on the podcast from day dot.
I first encountered his work as a rapper, and last interviewed him (as a journalist) in 2013 for The Skinny. We went on to work together on the release of his seminal concept album G.I.M.P. (Government Issue Music Protest), through my label Black Lantern. Darren was making his way through qualifications in journalism, and it was already evident that he was a writer of world-class power and ability.
This gift with words, ideas and political speech made him a respected voice in the campaign for Scottish independence (if often unfairly maligned by mainstream activists). All of these experiences, along with the childhood and early experiences he describes in his first book, informed his journalism as he continued to publish, speak and engage.
In 2018 Poverty Safari won the Orwell Prize, one of the world’s most respected awards for political writing. Darren has since been catapulted directly into the glare of the public eye, via appearances on the likes of Question Time and Debate Night, and as the host of BBC Scotland’s ‘Class Wars’.
Darren McGarvey: Recommendations
Here are a selection of things Darren has written about, talked about or rapped about over the years - this is very much the tip of the iceberg. He’s a dynamic thinker, and engages with the discourse around a great many topics in real time, so go follow him on YouTube and Twitter.
I highly recommend his thoughtful and insightful series The Darren McGarvey Podcast (FKA Darren Speaks), where his political writing intersects with his thoughts on personal responsibility, and his own journey through development, recovery and self-improvement.
His first two shows for the BBC were both excellent and are available to view. Loki’s History of Scottish Hip-Hop unpacks the roots of a very under-represented scene, while Darren McGarvey’s Scotland sees him explore with nuance the themes of class, identity and inequality we touched on in the podcast.
Darren was recently on the Big Scottish Book Club talking about Poverty Safari and its follow-up. This recent interview with the All About Ability podcast is also a great listen, and this 2021 Guardian interview is a great insight into his interests and beliefs as a writer and artist.
We didn’t talk much about music this time but you should definitely listen to some of Darren’s incendiary hip-hop on Bandcamp or via your favourite corporate streaming solution (search Darren McGarvey). If you’ve got time to check out the video for his powerful 2020 track about suicide and addiction, be aware it’s strong stuff.
Darren’s given plenty of public talks and you can find several of them on YouTube and elsewhere, but here are a few of my favourites. His 2018 TEDX Glasgow talk remains as relevant as ever, as do his early appearances with Russell Brand and Owen Jones. His talk at the Festival of Politics (2018) is really excellent too.
To read some of Darren’s journalism, check out his site, and follow the links below for some of his pieces on:
Latest episode: Mike Watson - Beyond Capitalist Realism
Episode 11 is out now, with with critic and author Mike Watson, discussing his latest book The Memeing of Mark Fisher, his work with the Acid Left project, and a range of topics from the Labour party to Acid Communism; from memes to mental health.
I hope you enjoyed Episode 10 and Episode 11. Look out for another newsletter, and one more episode, before the end of 2021.
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Take care of each other.
- Bram E Gieben, Glasgow, December 2021