Born the son of Scotland's last telescope-maker, Stuart Braithwaite was perhaps always destined for a life of psychedelic adventuring on the furthest frontiers of noise in MOGWAI, one of the best loved and most ground-breaking post-rock bands of the past three decades.
'Shirley is a time traveller, a conduit for essential human aches, one of the greatest artists who ever lived' Stewart Lee'Without doubt one of England's greatest cultural treasures' Billy BraggIn America Over the Water, celebrated English folksinger Shirley Collins offers an affecting account of her year-long stint as assistant to legendary musical historian and folklorist Alan Lomax.
First as a journalist and then a publicist at Warner Brothers Records for nearly twenty years, Barbara Charone has experienced, first-hand, the changes in the cultural landscape.
'Birkin's diary entries ultimately expose the toxic reality behind one of the 20th century's most glamorous couples' Sunday TimesJane Birkin - actor, singer, songwriter and model - may have shot to worldwide fame through her relationship with Serge Gainsbourg and their controversial hit 'Je t'aime .
For almost 30 years as label boss, producer, and talent conductor at XL Recordings, Richard Russell has discovered, shaped and nurtured the artists who have rewritten the musical dictionary of the 21st century, artists like The Prodigy, The White Stripes, Adele, M.
In this poetic handbook, written when he was just twenty-three, the world-famous high-wire artist Philippe Petit offers a window into the world of his craft.
'A formidable freestyle book that isn't straight biography but a mix of history, street-level investigative reporting, hagiography, Deep South sociology, music criticism, memoir and some fiery preaching' ROLLING STONEThe music of James Brown was almost a genre in its own right, and he was one of the biggest and most influential cultural figures of the twentieth century.
'The book is filled with that most distinctive of all her qualities: her voice' The TimesHome Work, the second instalment of Julie Andrews' internationally bestselling memoirs, begins with her arrival in Hollywood to make her screen debut in Walt Disney's Mary Poppins.
Volume I: THE PYTHON YEARS (1969-1979)Michael Palin's diaries begin when he was newly married and struggling to make a name for himself in the world of television comedy.
Longlisted for the Penderyn Music Book PrizeOver the course of a thirteen-album and multi-award-winning career with Squeeze, it was clear from the very beginning that Chris Difford has few peers when it comes to smart, pithy lyricism.
'Full of glorious examples of caller wisdom [with] laugh-out-loud anecdotes' Allison PearsonHaving taken over 25,000 listener calls on his BBC Radio 2 lunchtime show, Jeremy Vine decided it was time to take stock of the wisdom his listeners have imparted over the airwaves.
Evgeny Kissin's musicality, the depth and poetic quality of his interpretations, and his extraordinary virtuosity have earned him the veneration and admiration deserved only by one of the most gifted classical pianists of his generation.
John Tusa is a distinguished journalist, broadcaster and leader of arts organisations, best remembered for his times at the BBC, including creating Newsnight.
The World was my Lobster tells the story of George Cole's more than 70 years in the acting profession that began with a walk-on part at the age of 14 in the stage musical The White Horse Inn in 1939, and continues today having included such roles as David Bliss in the radio and television versions of A Life of Bliss, Flash Harry in the St.
INCLUDES NEVER-BEFORE-SHARED PROJECTS, RECIPES AND INSPIRATION, ALONG WITH STUNNING NEW PHOTOGRAPHYFor as long as Zoe Sugg can remember she has loved welcoming friends & family into her home, whether it's to celebrate someone else's big day or just being with friends, there is nothing she enjoys more than putting her energy into making any occasion special.
'The thought behind this book is not just me wanting to tell my story in the standard autobiographical fashion but to create a kind of self-help book that includes my story.
#SaffronBarkerVSRealLifeIn world of airbrushing and perfectly constructed social media lives, one girl is battling to make it through completely unfiltered (well, almost).
THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLERWhen Monty Don's golden retriever Nigel became the surprise star of BBC Gardeners' World, inspiring huge interest, fan mail and his own social media accounts, Monty Don wanted to explore what makes us connect with animals quite so deeply.
In these three bestselling memoirs, Alan tells his own story from Ilkley Moor to Pebble Mill and to the final realising of his dream of becoming TV's favourite gardener.
WINNER OF THE THURBER PRIZEThe compelling, inspiring, (often comic) coming-of-age story of Trevor Noah, set during the twilight of apartheid and the tumultuous days of freedom that followed.
'DEEPLY HONEST, SURPRISINGLY HILARIOUS AND UPLIFTING' The Pool 'HEART-WARMING: UNMISSABLE' Damian Barr, Metro Susan Calman is a much-loved comedian and writer who has appeared on countless radio and television programmes from The News Quiz and Just a Minute to Armchair Detectives and Secret Scotland.
From Cradle to Stage shares stories and exclusive photos featuring mothers of rock icons, the icons themselves, and their Behind the Music-style relationshipsWhile the Grohl family had always been musical-the family sang together on long car trips, harmonizing to Motown and David Bowie, Virginia Grohl never expected her son to become a musician, let alone a rock star.
The jaw-dropping and joyful story of a life like no other - from one of Britain's best loved writers and actors'Funny, sad, totally no-holds-barred' The Scotsman'No life can really be all black, right?
***WINNER OF THE NEW ANGLE PRIZE FOR LITERATURE******WINNER OF THE HWA NON-FICTION AWARD***A beautifully written exploration of the world of Edwardian folk music, and its influence on the composer Ralph Vaughan WilliamsIn January 1905 the young Vaughan Williams, not yet one of England's most famous composers, visited Norfolk to find folk songs 'from the mouths of the singers'.
Denise Van Outen, original 90s 'ladette', West End star and primetime TV favourite, reveals for the first time the true story of grit and graft beneath the famous Essex sparkle.
