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Dayglo

The Poly Styrene Story
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Poly Styrene was a singer-songwriter, artist and post-modern style pioneer: a true punk icon. Yet beyond the rebel image lay a sharply perceptive pop satirist, whose vibrant, playful aesthetic stood in bold contrast to punk's monochrome nihilism. Her extraordinary story is told by her daughter, singer-songwriter Celeste Bell, with writer Zoe Howe (author of Typical Girls? The Story of The Slits). From a mixed-race childhood in 1960s Brixton to fronting X-Ray Spex at the heart of the 1970s punk explosion, through spiritual discovery, single motherhood and struggles with mental health, this is a candid and compelling portrait of an artist who defied convention. Drawing on interviews with friends, collaborators and admirers - including Vivienne Westwood, Don Letts, Neneh Cherry and Thurston Moore - this richly illustrated oral history brings together rare photographs, ephemera and artwork to celebrate Poly Styrene's enduring cultural impact and singular creative voice.
Celeste Bell is a musician and part-time further education lecturer. Her debut feature about her mother, Poly Styrene: I Am a Cliche, won Best Documentary at the British Independent Film awards in 2021. Zoe Howe is an author, broadcaster and artist whose writing spans the worlds of music, culture and folklore. Her music books have covered artists including The Slits, Stevie Nicks, The Jesus & Mary Chain, Poly Styrene, The Jam and Dr Feelgood, and she was part of the team behind the award-winning documentary Poly Styrene: I Am A Cliche. Other work includes Witchful Thinking: The Wise Woman's Handbook for Creating A Charmed Life and Scorpio Witch (Llewellyn Worldwide). Zoe is a Royal Literary Fund Writing Fellow, and her popular radio show 'Rock 'n' Roll Witch', which brings together her two great loves of music and magic, airs monthly on Soho Radio.
'It's a complex, inspirational and moving story.' Mojo 'Refreshingly for a project involving family members, the book certainly doesn't sugarcoat anything, dealing with her mental health issues, her unpredictable nature and her difficult upbringing with a clear-eyed sense of honesty... She was a true artist and a genuine one-off, and Dayglo is the celebration she deserves.' Classic Rock - 8/10 'Dayglo asks bigger questions about growing up mixed race and female in Britain.' The New European
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