From around the 1840s there developed in Lancashire, Yorkshire and the north-east of England a dialect literature of wide appeal to the working people of these industrial districts. A popular tradition was apparent in some other English regions, but these examples were overwhelmingly the most significant. In other regions, too, dialect was written by and for those outside the ranks of manual workers: this aspect will be considered later, the main emphasis here being upon the popular current. If decidedly popular, however, this dominant form was in no sense the direct expression of some authentic ‘working-class’ voice. Rather, its genesis and character were culturally and socially diverse: while there were two distinct strands in the literature these were in practice sometimes woven together. Unpicking this weave helps us explore people's self-images and the ideas they had of other social groups.

It is first of all necessary to convey briefly some of the main characteristics of what I take to be the dominant, popular current in dialect. It was a new literature, yet was also intimately related to the ballad tradition and oral culture that preceded it. What was new was the emergence of known, no-longer anonymous authors, writing in an often ‘literary’ way for a mass audience. With more justice than with the ballad, one may use the term ‘literature’ in the sense of awareness and pretentions extending from ‘low’ to ‘high’ literary culture.