Daniel Frost

I am a contemporary political historian. My academic work has focused on left-wing politics in Croydon in the twentieth century, with a focus on the ways that activists understood, shaped, and were shaped by the spaces that they struggled within. I’m particularly interested in the ways that the hopes and disappointments in activist lives can be mapped onto changes in the (sub)urban environment. My next major projects will shift attention to the very near-present and begin exploring the challenges and opportunities for activism implied by the opening of new digital spaces.

My work draws on oral history, archival material, and Croydon’s many appearances in popular culture. In writing from within Croydon, I have been influenced by the work of theorists and artists with a connection to the town, such as John Ruskin, Angela Carter, Jamie Reid, Hazel Carby, and Jay Bernard. As a result, I am starting to explore more artistic and poetic ways of approaching and sharing my research.

I have taught at the University of Reading and on an interdisciplinary programme at LSE, and I’m very interested in chatting with others about pedagogical practices and experiences.