This edition of Rally Reads comes from Antonia May Cross.
It’s a good one. We first met Antonia on the internet and have subsequently met her in real life. We get inspired by people like Antonia because they give out massive get shit done vibes.
BTW. If you’re new to the concept, Rally Reads is a series of blog posts where we ask the people who’ve left their mark on us to share the books, documentaries, articles or films that have had the biggest impact on their careers and their thinking. And to explain why.
Antonia’s currently Head of Influencing at Switchback and has nearly 15 years of award-winning third sector communications experience, including over four years in senior charity roles for homelessness and criminal justice organisations. Her favourite thing to work on is a creative campaign that challenges public perceptions and attitudes, centring the voices of those with lived experience.
Alongside a passion for communications and influencing strategies Antonia founded and directed ‘Sexy Talks’. Which curated panel talks and speaking events, bringing political and cultural discourse to wider audiences. It was featured in the New York Times and at Glastonbury festival.
She’s also a proud God-Mum to Leo. And you can connect with her on Bluesky and LinkedIn.
You’ll love this edition. Dig in.
Dog Section Press pamphlets - Re-Organise (pamphlet series) - ReOrganise Strategy
I love anything published by Dog Section Press. Their ‘Re-Organise Series’ is vital reading for those involved in social justice. I think it’s cool, and my responsibility, to challenge my own traditionally understood ideas and learnings of organisational governance and strategy design. And these pamphlets (also downloadable as free PDFs) provide the perfect counterbalance to some of my more habitual methods.
Their ‘About Us’ page also sets out their values as a workers cooperative, and their commitment to the ‘seven cooperative principles’ in an admirable way. Interested in these things too? Then, I also like this handbook on Feminist Governance.
Carl Cattermole - Prison: A Survival Guide
The cult guide to UK prisons by Carl Cattermole. I love books as practical tools, and accessible resources that reach wider, often neglected, audiences in creative ways.
I had the pleasure of booking Carl for the Clinks/ NCJAA Anne Peaker Lecture in 2023 where he talked about the intersection of creativity, art and prison. It was poignant and fascinating, as is the book, which gifts direct usable advice from one prisoner to another.
SPORTSBANGER - Earthbound Zine Series
I first noticed SPORTSBANGER for their campaign turning government communications letters into a powerful collective resilience art piece, and it subverted the idea of direct mail campaigns to me. Third and public sector communications and fundraising pros take heed. I think about it every time I send out supporter comms or receive a letter from my council.
But I want to draw attention to the EARTHBOUND Zine series, it’s free - you just pay for postage - which makes it accessible, and last time I ordered it I also received a free protest poster. I think it’s top tier creative community building that charities and organisations could learn from.
William Upski Wimsatt - Bomb the Suburbs - Graffiti, Race, Freight-Hopping and the Search for Hip-Hop's Moral Center
A collection of essays ahead of its time, read it. You won’t be disappointed.
Wooden City - Substack by Isaac Rangaswami (@caffsnotcafes)
Isaac (who’s also the fab @caffsnotcafes on Instagram) has a brilliant Substack, called Wooden City - ‘A newsletter about London’ - that truly embodies the idea of reclaiming space, and paying due respect to London’s melting-pot and working class heritage. It very coolly and without pretension provides an anti-gentrification message. Also his blogs are useful community resources, my favourite one lists the best free spots to hang out in in London.
Switchback’s Experts By Experience Board told us during the Mayoral campaign they wanted their city to invest in, and provide access to, more third spaces. So in lieu of greater investment, I’m at least able to Whatsapp them this blog he’s made free to access (of course).
Sarah Jaffe - Work won’t love you back
Like most people in my (our?) line of work, I suffer from burnout. Why do we do this to ourselves? I knew I had a problem when in my darkest moments I’d recognise a smugness in my burnout. My partner, a talented artist, would mention being stressed at work and I’d internally eye-roll ‘you don’t know stress, I’m saving the world!’- Who on earth do I think I am? Beyond just being rude, it also makes me terribly dull, solely venting about being stressed all the time. More importantly, it helps no-one.
So I read this book: A deeply-reported examination of why “doing what you love” can lead to burnout, exhaustion and exploitation. I recommend the section on ‘non-profits’ to my team. I love organisations who have been able to bake ‘rest’ into their strategies and design, such as Rising Arts Agency.
Magazines (a love of print!)
I love magazines, and make a point of supporting print journalism. Some of the most interesting articles I've read about social justice movements, and frontline work tackling issues and topics like race, identity, inequality and investment in culture have been from CRACK Magazine, The Face Magazine and The Big Issue.
Not only are they more affordable than new books, you’re often supporting a more diverse selection of writers and journalists in their early years. My gateway drug to being a voracious reader was a subscription to Girl Talk Mag aged 7, each subscriber got a free Beanie Baby and I was hooked for life.
Danny Dorling - Inequality and the 1%
The book opens by explaining that by mere accident of being born outside the one percent it will have a dramatic impact on the rest of your life: it will reduce your life expectancy, as well as educational and work prospects, and affect your mental health. As someone from a working class background I have lived in the shadow of knowing I needed to be exceptional in order to have any true agency in my life. This book frames the current inequality in Britain in a way that affirmed/ confirmed a lot of my own lived experience.
Danny also signed a copy of this book for me and it’s a treasured keepsake.
Jeremy Heimans and Henry Timms - New Power
New power is open to all, participatory and peer driven. Jeremy and Henry’s book should be read by all campaigners, influencers, fundraisers, volunteer managers and challenger organisations. It’s a call to arms for all the ‘Davids’ out there to join forces and take on every ‘Goliath’ in a forceful mass. This book dissects #MeToo #BlackLivesMatter and even the Ice Bucket Challenge. An organisation who really embodies the teachings in this book is the Level Up Campaign, whose working class theory of change utilises popular culture, and organised gatherings of humans that care for effective change.
Next few months (Summer reading list)
Shon Faye - Love in Exile
A mission statement on love when you’re treated politically and socially as an outsider. Shon's writing feels like she sees into your soul, but words it better than you.
I had the pleasure of meeting Shon at my favourite independent festival, FORWARDS Festival - I’ll be going this year to watch Doechii, whose album ‘Alligator Bites Never Heal’ has been inspirational to me too.
For clarity, we don’t just like Antonia because she reads Anarchist literature, loves New Power like us and comes from the West Country. We aren’t that basic.
Final word. If you want to buy any of the books listed in this edition of Rally Reads or previous editions but don’t want to give your money to Amazon. We’ve set up a store front on Bookshop. We make a tiny commission if you buy via our link. We promise not to let it go to our heads or start supporting Trumpo.