Paul Kingsnorth

Paul Kingsnorth is co-founder and Director of the Dark Mountain Project, a growing global network of writers, artists and thinkers dedicated to challenging the myths which underlie our civilization. He is also the author of two books of non-fiction and a collection of poetry. His first novel, The Wake, will be published in January 2014. His website is www.paulkingsnorth.net.

The age of endings

Our myths of progress are killing us. Where can we find a new set of stories to inspire the work of the future? Only through the creative imagination of writers, artists, storytellers and musicians. Perhaps only poetry can save us now.

By Paul Kingsnorth

/ 7 Aug 2013

From ecocide to ecocentrism: a response

Paul Kingsnorth’s personal-radical farewell to green-movementism - the essay "Confessions of a recovering environmentalist" - generated a rich and earthy response. Andrew Dobson, the pioneer of “ecologism” and of green political thought, questioned the key choice the essay offered. Now, Paul Kings

By Paul Kingsnorth

/ 14 Sep 2010

Confessions of a recovering environmentalist

"Environmentalism, which in its raw, early form had no time for the encrusted, seized-up politics of left and right, has been sucked into the yawning, bottomless chasm of the 'progressive' left." A personal, twenty-year journey through the world’s wild places and the movements to protect them is a

By Paul Kingsnorth

/ 16 Aug 2010

The blizzard of the world

The exhaustion of the planet and existing ways of life presents a creative challenge: exploring “uncivilisation”. Paul Kingsnorth introduces the Dark Mountain Project.

By Paul Kingsnorth

/ 4 Feb 2010

Englishness is a cultural identity

Paul Kingsnorth responds to Mark Perryman's call in Breaking up Britain for a progressive English identity. ‘What is Englishness?' is a question I have always studiously avoided

By Paul Kingsnorth

/ 7 May 2009

The ugly economics of immigration

Paul Kingsnorth (Oxford, author): In a recent, and very interesting, post here on OK, in which he dissects Enoch Powell’s views on ‘cultural essentialism’, Sunder Katwala of the Fabian

By Paul Kingsnorth

/ 4 Nov 2008

England, Britain and multiculturalism: an OurKingdom exchange

What kind of country has Britain become; does multiculturalism enrich or damage its people's lives; and is English national identity a route to political progress or a journey

By Paul Kingsnorth and Vron Ware

/ 21 Jun 2008

Kingsnorth responds to Ware

This is the second part of an exchange on national identity and belonging sparked by Paul Kingsnorth's review of Vron Ware's book. We will be publishing

By Paul Kingsnorth

/ 19 Jun 2008

Who cares about Britishness?

Paul Kingsnorth reviews Who cares about Britishness? by Vron Ware. (Ware, Arcadia Books, July 2007, 180pp) It doesn’t seem an especially good start to this book-length exploration of the

By Paul Kingsnorth

/ 19 May 2008

The European Social Forum: time to get serious

It was when they silenced the free-tea man that I knew something was wrong. A friendly young man had brought a kettle, cups and a few packets of tea bags

By Paul Kingsnorth

/ 20 Oct 2004

A shaft of light at the European Social Forum

The man at the Socially Responsible Banking stall has his head in his hands. Business for him is slow to nonexistent. He looks glumly across at the stall opposite,

By Paul Kingsnorth

/ 17 Oct 2004

Can active citizens transform British politics?

The British people are disillusioned with the political process and with politicians themselves. As Stuart Weir reports on openDemocracy following the latest State of the Nation survey, people believe that

By Paul Kingsnorth

/ 13 Jul 2004