Why do invocations of 'the people' carry such force in current political discourse and public debate? This book offers an ambitiously transhistorical account of the ways that 'the people' has figured in British literature and culture. Ranging from the later mediaeval period to the present, the twenty-three chapters draw on substantial new research to show that the figure of the people has been put to reactionary and progressive ends and that its meanings are less obvious and fixed than contemporary commentators would have us believe. Providing a much-needed critical prehistory for our own current moment, the contributors also build on ideas and methods from other disciplines, such as political theory, sociology, and media history. As such, this important new volume will be of interest to a wide range of readers across periods and disciplines.