Examining the performance and political influence of far right vanguard leaders: the case of Jonathan Bowden

Abstract

ABSTRACT This article examines the life, work, and influence of right-wing artist, writer, and orator Jonathan Bowden. During his life, Bowden was an obscure figure, holding a token position in the British National Party and speaking mostly in front of small gatherings. Since his death in 2012, however, he has become increasingly influential within far-right movements on both sides of the Atlantic. While he remains relatively obscure outside of the far-right, his work has been highly praised by leading voices of the American Alt-Right movement, as well as identitarian leaders throughout Europe. In this article, we not only discuss the importance of Bowden’s ideas, such as those related to anti-liberalism, and how they have shaped and inspired the far right in many countries; but we also attend to the importance of the way in which he communicated those ideas through video, further bolstering his overall influence as a vanguard leader.