BOB DICKINSON

History of the alternative press in the Manchester region, 1967-1995

I am researching the history of Manchester's alternative press from 1967 to the present day, for an MPhil thesis which will be published by Arena in late 1995 under the title "Imprinting The Sticks". The work utilises oral testimony in the form of taped interviews with individuals who have participated in underground magazines, community newspapers, events and listing publications, punk fanzines and other printed material, which in the Manchester area include Mole Express, Grass Eye, Rochdale Alternative Press, Tameside Eye, Bury Metro News, Catonsville Roadrunner, New Manchester Review, Manchester Flash, Girl Trouble, Shy Talk, Ghast Up, City Fun, Debris, Alarm, Scam, City Life, Badpress, Headpress and Jockey Slut. The approach takes in some consideration of the roe of the so-called "cultural intermediaries" in the running of the alternative press, in their relationship with the mainstream press and broadcast media, and in their choice of lifestyle as a "creative" act. This is the first study I know of which attempts to analyse the workings of the British alternative press outside London, and the first to cover all the chronological ground from the sixties onwards.

I would be very interested to communicate with anyone who has worked in the Manchester alternative press and might be interested in taking part in the further interviews. I am especially interested in contacting those currently working in interactive media. I would be very willing to delivers talks/lectures to academic research units - I have plenty of illustrative material and tape extracts.