An update.
There are two significant things I'm looking forward to this year.
The first is my book, Feral Class, to be published by the brilliant publisher
Minor Compositions, which will be wild when it comes out. It's currently
undergoing copy-editing.
"This writing is about reaching out to and empowering comrades who have also
struggled, sharing knowledge, wisdom, idiocy, raw life, and hope. I survived.
Welcome to a feral-class odyssey."
This book is an urgent call to those from disadvantaged backgrounds who have
felt like trespassers in a world ruled by elites. The audience is the working
class, struggling parents and their children, outsiders, the underclass, and
those who see themselves as Feral, including Gypsy, Roma, Travellers and New
age travellers. It also includes an excellent forward by Cassie Thornton.
It is also aimed at those who wish to collaborate and build kinship with others
who share similar histories, social values, and critical contexts in ways that
create and explore new and traditional approaches to coexistence. It’s not
about reinventing the wheel like a brand-new product. It’s about realigning and
examining the stories we can share and build upon, individually and
collectively, to form a solid foundation for recognising each other and then
exploring what can be achieved with this connective knowledge. It is also a
tribute to masculinity and the struggle of growing up without prominent male
role models, leading to a search for guidance—sometimes driven by desperation,
other times by instinct, and self-education.
When will it be out? I don't bloody know. They're a busy bunch—hopefully, this
year, before September 2025. However, I'll give talks and presentations at
various venues and participate in online panels with guests when it happens.
The second is the Furtherfield book.
This book takes you on a bold, immersive autoethnographic journey filled with
rich insights and experiences. It weaves together stories of artists,
activists, tech enthusiasts, and curators—from the early days of net art to the
evolving world of blockchain, cryptocurrency, interspecies collaborations,
LARPs, grassroots movements, and eco-social innovations. I am editing the
chapters alongside Regine De Batty and Martin Zellinger. Furtherfield is also
collaborating with numerous individuals, including Sarah Cook, Pita Arreola,
and several other notable figures, as well as many of the artists themselves
who are being featured in the project.
"Furtherfield has actively questioned hierarchies in academia, the arts, and
society, challenging the validity of established historical canons in media art
culture and the art world. Inspired by the decentralised technology of the
early Web, Furtherfield has adopted a similarly decentralised way of working,
reflecting its conceptual and artistic practice. In doing so, it positions
itself as both an artwork and a critique of hierarchy in the arts. Through
ongoing experiments in organisational form and method—conducted by its
community—Furtherfield tests theories, philosophies, and concepts in practice.
Rather than referencing already well-promoted writers, artists, and
technologists, it blurs the boundaries between art, activism, and social
experimentation by weaving decentralisation into its artistic and operational
practices. Functioning as a living artwork shaped by community participation,
Furtherfield carries forward the utopian ideals of the early internet,
transforming them into a tangible, practice-driven reality."
When will it be out? Again, I don't bloody know. Probably from September 2025
to early next year.
I know the world is a pile of man-made dung right now, but these two
publications will serve as testaments to building pathways out of the quagmire
of top-down-imposed nihilism. Not for everyone, yet I know these books will
mean a great deal to many out there.
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