In a 1970s commuter town, Tracey Thorn’s teenage life was forged from what failed to happen. Her diaries were packed with entries about not buying things, not going to the disco, the school coach not arriving. Before she became an acclaimed musician and writer, Tracey Thorn was a typical teenager: bored and cynical, despairing of her aspirational parents. Her only comfort came from house parties…

Meaningful Conversations and the female pop icons who hinted at a new kind of living. Returning more than three decades … More

OTD in 1853, after having been kidnapped and sold into slavery in the American South, Solomon Northup regains his freedom; his memoir Twelve Years a Slave later becomes a national bestseller. The shocking first-hand account of one man’s remarkable fight for freedom. `Why had I not died in my young years – before God had given me children to love & live for? What unhappiness & suffering & sorrow it would have prevented. I sighed for liberty; but the bondsman’s chain was round me, & could not be shaken off.’ 1841: Solomon Northup is a successful violinist when he is kidnapped & sold into slavery.

Taken from his family in New York State – with no hope of ever seeing them again – and forced … More

Christ stopped at Eboli, down on the coast, up the in the hills the world remains pre-Christian. This is the author’s account of life in one of those hill villages while in internal exile under the fascists. Levi presents most of the villagers as being so isolated from the mainstream of Italian culture that they have a pre-christian or pagan mentality or weltanschauung. For example at Christmas the poor people give presents to the rich – unlike in the Bible story were the Kings give presents to the carpenter’s son – hence the title of the book

He comes to see these people as the aboriginal inhabitants of Italy crushed down by the weight by a series … More

Penny Pepper has led an extraordinary life. She is a writer. Poet. Punk. Pioneer. Activist. And she also happens to be disabled. In her absorbing memoir, which spans the mid-80s up until the millennium, Penny paints a picture of life, love, sex, music, success, failure and misadventures in the UK punk scene of the late 20th century. Craving freedom from the poor Chiltern Hill council estate where she grew up, Penny dreams of moving to London, of writing, of finding her way in the North London music scene.

She doesn’t have what others take for granted; she is disabled. And she sets out with just her raw, burgeoning … More

“A voice is calling across the land, “Bombardier Milligan.””Bombadier Milligan is dead,” I replied in a disguised voice. The voice replied, “Then he’s going to miss his breakfast.” The fourth volume of Spike Milligan’s legendary account of his time in the army during World War Two begins as he & his regiment land in sunny Italy in 1943 (‘The ship touched the beach very gently, so gently I suspect it’s not insured’).

Spike Milligan was one of the greatest and most influential comedians of the twentieth century. Born in India in 1918, … More

As one of Britain’s most influential DJs, producers and record-label owners, Goldie’s contribution to the UK rave scene in the 1990s with Metalheadz provided the blueprint for dubstep and grime.

Here is the memoir of an extraordinary life, an explosive story of abuse, revenge, graffiti, breakdancing, gold teeth, sawn-off shotguns, … More

Containing writing reminiscent of memoir, literary criticism, travelogue, prose poetry, as well as analyses of myth, fairytale & narratives, the book defies easy categorization

Gifts come in many guises. One summer, Rebecca Solnit was bequeathed three boxes of ripening apricots, which lay, mountainous, on … More

When I am disturbed, even angry, gardening has been a therapy. When I don’t want to talk I turn to Plot 29, or to a wilder piece of land by a northern sea. There, among seeds & trees, my breathing slows; my heart rate too.

My anxieties slip away.’ As a young boy in 1960s Plymouth, Allan Jenkins and his brother, Christopher, were rescued from … More

Collins tells the story of that lifelong relationship with English folksong – a dedication to artistic integrity that has guided her through the triumphs & tragedies of her life.

A memoir from one of Britain’s legendary singers, folklorists, and music historians. A legendary singer, folklorist, and music historian, Shirley … More

Soviet Daughter : A Graphic Revolution – Julia Alekseyeva

Soviet Daughter provides a window into the life of a rebellious, independent woman coming of age in the USSR, and … More