Lord Sawyer presents his new book to Darlington Library (From Darlington and Stockton Times)

Lord Sawyer presents his new book to Darlington Library

12:32pm Friday 22nd March 2013 in News By Alexa Copeland, Reporter (Darlington)

TEESSIDE University Chancellor Lord Sawyer of Darlington has presented a copy of his new book to Darlington Library.

Lord Sawyer’s book ‘Radicalism, A Passion for Books’ charts the details of his own private collection which celebrates the best of radical English writing.

His collection is brimming with works that influenced socialism and in his new volume, Lord Sawyer describes growing up in a house without books, reading his first newspaper at 18 and being introduced to Communist Party pamphlets aged 21.

He later became a voracious reader and began his book collection with the first volume of Ernest Bevan’s Biography by Alan Bullock.

Lord Sawyer said: “Book collecting is usually a very private affair; books slip on and off shelves and in and out of houses.

“Very few collectors leave a record of why they chose particular books so I decided I would leave a short story that my family and friends might enjoy.”