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Title: The Review Prolétariat Author: Henry Poulaille Date: 1933 Language: en Topics: class struggle, proletariat Source: Prolétariat, No. 1, July 1, 1933 in La littérature et le peuple, Les Amis d’Henry Poulaille & Plein Chant, 2003; Translated by Mitch Abidor. [[https://www.marxists.org/subject/anarchism/poulaille/1933/review-proletariat.htm]]
Prolétariat, an experimental review, aspires only to be one of the
centers for the elaboration of proletarian literature. It wants to be a
tool in service to the proletariat. It doesn’t intend to sacrifice to
the prejudices common to literary and artistic circles and will not
enter into the quarrels among scholars that constitute the intellectual
activity of the elite. Some time ago it was possible to still believe
that only these elites had something to say and worth making known. They
always think they represent something. On the left as well as the right
people are all too happy to expel the productive class from the realm of
expression. Any pretext, even the worst, is acceptable. Nevertheless, it
is only right to take notice of this: this class which once was not even
urged to read and couldn’t have even if it had wanted to, has since
learned how to read. Why should it remain at this stage? Today, in one
way or another, this class wants to be heard in its turn.
Just as we had no doubt of the success of our first attempt, killed by
the financial crisis, we have no doubt of the success of our new
anthology. By which we mean a moral success, for none of us have any
illusions about the question of money. The latter, incidentally, will
play no part in it. No collaborator will be paid, any profits to be used
to improve the review. As was the case three years ago, the same team
sets out again, free and under the orders of no one, the review
appearing under the entire responsibility of its editorial committee.
Not having any watchwords to respect, Prolétariat places itself outside
any political party.
This does not imply that we close ourselves off from any political
responsibilities, but at Prolétariat we believe only in the emancipation
of the workers by themselves and not through the intermediary of the
representatives of the working or rural classes in parliament or
literature. We at Prolétariat do not stand outside the struggle, but we
have no intention of submitting to dictated directives.
---
Prolétariat is also not a literary boutique. If this were so we’d have
chosen another title! This review, the emanation of a free group of
writers who are not professionals in the field of letters, have as their
sole ambition serving a cause that neither the press, nor reviews, nor
established groups desire to occupy: that of authentically proletarian
expression. At Prolétariat we do not intend to monopolize proletarian
literature but rather to prevent it from being crushed under the
caricatures that are populism and sloganizing literature.
“The proletariat first of all,” we say. Those who shamelessly, for
political, esthetic, or sentimental ends demand the right to be “at the
side of the proletariat” will not figure in our table of contents. We
pledge on our honor to reserve as much of our column space as possible
to the authors who live at the very heart of the proletarian class.
Born under the sign of labor, Prolétariat issues an appeal to those who
work.