Books Apr v2.qxp_Layout 1 23/03/2022 09:56 Page 1
BOOKS
Moving memoirs A collection of memoirs forms a strong strand at The Bath Festival in May. Here’s our pick of half a dozen (see also opposite page), which emphasise a sense of shared humanity
The Red of My Blood by Clover Stroud The death of her beloved sister, Nell, of Giffords Circus, who died of breast cancer aged 46, inspired this visceral book, written about the first year of her grief. Nell’s sudden death split Clover's life apart. About what life feels like when death interrupts it, and about bearing the unbearable and describing an experience that seems beyond words, this book sharply evokes the colours, smells and sounds of a lifetime shared – although the pain of bereavement is a tough read, her story is inclusive and uplifting. Doubleday, £16.99. Saturday 14 May, 10.30am, Assembly Rooms. Write It All Down by Cathy Rentzenbrink A down -to-earth, wise book for anyone who has talked about committing their life story to paper but doesn’t know where to start. Cathy is the author of the bestseller The Last Act of Love, which tells her own family’s story of her teenage brother Matty who was hit by a car and suffered serious injury. Hers is a kind, wise and knowledgeable voice that will help equip you to write your own life story. Pan Macmillan, £12.99. Cathy will be joined by Nikesh Shukla (Your Story Matters) for a two-hour writing workshop on Saturday 14 May, 12.30pm, The Assembly Rooms. My Mess is a a Bit of a Life by Georgia Pritchett Successful screenwriter (Succession, The Thick Of It, Miranda) Georgia Pritchett knows a thing or two about anxiety. From worrying about the monsters under her bed as a child (Were they comfy enough?), to embracing womanhood, (“One way of knowing you have crossed from girlhood to womanhood is that men stop exposing themselves at you from bushes and start shouting things at you from cars. It’s a beautiful moment.”) worry has accompanied her at every turn. Pritchett is a self-confessed worrier but also an entertaining storyteller. In her adventures in anxiety, she recounts hilarious stories with an endearing self-deprecating voice which provokes some laugh-outloud moments which will get you stared at if you’re reading it on the train. Faber £9.99. Georgia will join Abi Morgan (This is not a Pity Memoir) on Sunday 15 May, 5.30pm, Literature Lounge, Alfred Street. Continued page 51 50 TheBATHMagazine
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aPRiL 2022
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issue 230
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