The book reinterprets William Morris's utopianism as a vital extension of his political work, arguing that his writings were integral to a counter-hegemonic project within the socialist movement and literary culture of his time. Owen Holland engages with various contemporaneous authors, including first-wave feminists and pastoralists, challenging previous views that labeled Morris's utopianism as anti-political. Instead, he posits that Morris's work was deeply intertwined with political discourse, complicating existing narratives about its purpose and impact.
