The first book of Jeremy Reed's uncompromising, explicitly autobiographical expose of his life as a leading London poet from the 1980s to the present day, a major long poem written in the shop, while managing Red Snapper Books in the period 2007-2008, takes in an acutely personalised retrieval of the Piccadilly Circus ethos in the eighties, including meetings with the artist Francis Bacon, bohemian Soho, an index of personal obsessions including rock music and fashion, a defiant colour block of personal friends, patrons, pick-ups and demi-monde outlaws, all generously characterised for their individual importance and contribution to the poet's life, and a direct full-on involvement with unstoppable big-city momentum in the capital, intensely lived on a day to day basis. The book is a highly courageous and cutting edge poet's autobiography, explicit and detailed in a way few poets would dare celebrate quite literally the uncensored resources of a highly individual and sustained personal creativity.
Author Biography:
Jeremy Reed, born on a chip of rock off the coast of French Normandy, has been for decades one of Britain's most dynamic, adventurous and controversial poets. Called by the Independent "British poetry's glam, spangly, shape-shifting answer to David Bowie", his poetry, fiction and performances of his work are singularly inimitable in their opposition to grey mainstream poetry. He has published over 40 books of poetry, fiction and non-fiction, winning prestigious literary prizes such as the Somerset Maugham Award, and, on coming to live in London in the 1980s, was patronised by the artist Francis Bacon. Among his biggest fans have been the late J.G. Ballard, Pete Doherty and Bjork, who called his work "'the most beautiful, outrageously brilliant poetry in the world"' Jeremy writes about every subject that British poetry considers taboo: glamour, pop, rock, sci-fi, cyber, mutant, gay, drugs, neuroscience, the disaffected and outlawed, and the fizzy big-city chemistry of the London in which he lives and creates. His performances solo, or with The Ginger Light are unrivalled in intensity. In recent years he has published the first book-length poem on Elvis Presley, Heartbreak Hotel (Orion), Saint Billie (Enitharmon) a book-length poem on Billie Holiday, Orange Sunshine, an epic poem on 1960s pop culture, Duck and Sally Inside and This is How You Disappear (both Enitharmon), a book of elegies for dead and missing friends, a biography of Anna Kavan, Stranger On Earth, a novel, The Grid (Peter Owen) and his recent book of poetry Piccadilly Bongo contained a 4 track CD from the singer Marc Almond. Amongst his many other recent publications are John Stephen, King of Carnaby Street and the 1960s look and a book of sci-fi poems Honey I Need, with an introduction by J.G. Ballard. He works and performs with musician Itchy Ear as The Ginger Light.
