Antonio Gramsci's writings are seen as having been instrumental in supplying a new relevance and context for political debate on the left in the 20th century, but this importance is not confined to his political theorizing: in opposititon to his contemporaries he insisted on the central importance of an understanding of popular culture in the battle to create a revolutionary consciousness. This collection of his prison letters, whether joking with his sons (one of whom he never saw), gently chiding his wife or recalling folk tales and songs from his Sardinian childhood, reveal a courageous individual, committed to the struggle for human liberation. A detailed introduction, background information and a profile of Gramsci are included. This volume is translated, edited and introduced by Hamish Henderson, who was the first translator into English of Gramsci's work.