The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists

The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists is a novel written by Robert Tressell and published in 1914, 6 years after completion of the work, and 3 years after his death. It is considered to be Britain's most influential working class novel. [1]

The novel tells the story of the destitute and poor of the fictional town of Mugsborough. The scenery and characters are taken from the real town of Hastings, on the south coast of England. The message of the book is that working people had to change the capitalist system, of which they were the direct victims, and it has served as an inspiration to many people worldwide. It is also thought that The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists was partly responsible for the original outline of Britain's Welfare State.