The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists

A 2022 Eisner Award nominee

Adapted from Robert Tressell’s 1914 socialist novel about English working-class life, this British classic sets out the blueprint for how to organize a fairer society

Robert Tressell’s groundbreaking socialist novel, The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists, tells the story of a group of working men in the fictional town of Mugsborough and socialist journeyman-prophet Frank Owen, who attempts to convince his fellow workers that capitalism is the real source of the poverty surrounding them. Owen’s spirited attacks on the greed and dishonesty of the capitalist system, and his support for a socialist society in which work is performed to satisfy the needs of all, rather than to generate profit for a few, eventually rouses his fellow men from their political passivity. Described by George Orwell as a piece of social history and a book that everyone should read, The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists is often cited as “one of the most authentic novels of English working-class life ever written.” In this faithful graphic adaptation, creators Scarlett and Sophie Rickard craft a compelling fiction that paints a comprehensive picture of social, political, economic, and cultural life in early 20th century Britain that is still acutely relevant today.