Pitmen Painters: The Ashington Group, 1934-1984

From its initial publication in London in 1988, Pitmen Painters, the story of the Ashington Group from 1934 to 1984 has been of interest to many. Since 2007 when Lee Hall's play The Pitmen Painters, inspired by the book, was first staged at Live Theatre, Newcastle upon Tyne it has become increasingly recognized as a classic account of the role art can play in modern life. Whatever the odds, whatever the circumstances.

The Ashington Group began in the 1930s as an evening class of pitmen in a...