VOICES 2 isues 7 - 13 1975 - 1977

Ken Clay (editor)

Paperback 6" x 9" 339pp  - ISBN 978-1-913144-08-1   Published 2019

With issue 7 in 1975 Voices settled down to its A5 format and, perhaps intoxicated in that bright dawn like those French revolutionaries who reset the calendar to year 1, decided that issue 7 should be renamed issue 1. This continued for the next eight issues until issue 8 (new style) got labelled 15.

Ben was guardedly optimistic in his editorial to issue 8

"Voices" continues to progress, though its movement cannot be described as meteoric. We would welcome inquiries from bookshops, libraries, students' societies, as well as from trade unions, political organisations, co-operative societies, and individuals. Our chief advertisers are our dedicated readers. A growing number of Labour M.P.s have recently shown interest in "Voices". We see no urgent need to shake our begging bowl before readers' eyes. Our need is always there, and the response is so far modestly ample. We would give three resounding cheers for a leap forward in circulation.

“A London group was formed recently at a meeting held at Marx House to help "Voices" in various ways. People in Greater London area interested might contact Ian E. Reed.”

In an editorial to issue 9 the magazine’s place and purpose was defined:

"Voices" we believe has a function to play among the literary journals. It is not a vehicle for established writers. It is a means of dialogue between writer, of working class origin and/or of socialist tendency and the workers and socialists to whom they address themselves.

The begging bowl did come out in issue 12. Not bankruptcy though – just dizzy with success:

“The reason for this call for help was not because of decline and crisis, quite the contrary. Circulation is continually increasing. The men and women who write for us are a continually growing number. But we wish to expand. our circulation. still more. We need to make approaches to the Labour movement, to student societies, to bookshops; we generally need, more advertisement, And in a period of rising costs we want to maintain our price level. Hence our call for £250 to see us through the next 2 issues, or better still £350, which would enable us to complete our budget promotion to the end of 1977.

They got it too, most of it, and a subsidy from North West Arts. Rick Gwilt became joint editor by issue 13. Voices best years were just round the corner.

The complete reprint of Voices will appear in 5 volumes