Thompson: controversies and contributions

Abstract

In 2013, the fiftieth anniversary of the release of the best-known and influential work by British historian E. P. Thompson, The formation of the English working class, was celebrated, the title of the Brazilian translation of the original The Making of the English Working Class. This event gave rise to seminars and debates about Thompson's works among Brazilian critical intellectuals. Given the importance of Thompson's work, Marxist Criticism decided to organize a small dossier on the subject. We invited two contributors from our magazine and a Spanish intellectual, all scholars of Thompson's work and themes covered by this author, to write texts that cover different aspects of the English historian's work. We sought to compose a varied picture, both with regard to the theoretical approaches adopted by the authors and with regard to the topics covered.