Author offers alternative look at history

There are many ways to examine the past.

In his latest collection of work, Scott Neigh looks at history from the eyes of an activist.

The Sudburian has been part of his fair share of social movements, but has more recently taken to documenting some of the biggest fights from modern history.

Using conversations with activists as his primary source of data, he tells the stories the way they say them.

“A very broad and diverse group” of people from across the country shared their stories of what it was like to live through various historical accounts. Many of the people he spoke to were seniors, who actually experienced what is now considered history.

“We tend not to hear how important their struggles were,” Neigh said. “It shaped our Canada of today.”

Not only does the writer recount what happened, he makes a point to write about how historic lessons can be applied today.

“I'm hoping they can be a useful resource to spark conversations about thinking differently about history and thinking differently about Canada,” he said.

“There are two broad groups of people who will be interested in this book — People are interested in history ... and people who are involved somehow in social change work.”

So far, he has published two books from the lens of activism. Resisting the State and Gender and Sexuality tackle different elements of his research.

For more information, visit www.fernwoodpublishing.ca/author/Scott/, or look for his books at local bookstores.

Audio clips from interviews, and other related material, can be found at www.talkingradical.ca.