Category: Obituaries

Tribute to Sondheim

Susannah

“Art, in itself, is an attempt to bring order out of chaos.” – Stephen Sondheim

Sadly, there have been a number of notable deaths of well-known figures this year, but among the most significant was the passing of musical theatre titan, Stephen Sondheim. Passing at the age of 91 at the end of November, Sondheim redefined musical theatre over his more than sixty year career. He notably collaborated on West Side Story with another renowned composer, Leonard Bernstein, and was mentored by Oscar Hammerstein II, of the famous musical theatre duo, Rogers and Hammerstein. Sondheim began his musical theatre career as a lyricist, before going on to both write and compose. Some of his most notable works are: A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (1962), Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (1979), and Into the Woods (1987). See below for some of our holdings both by and about Stephen Sondheim.

The story so far… / Sondheim, Stephen
“Stephen Sondheim: The Story So Far is a four-CD box set of 82 recordings of music by the Broadway songwriter, with a running time just under five hours. It is far from the first compilation of Sondheim’s work, or even the first box set, but it follows a pattern in such compilations and in box sets in general, in that the selection seems aimed at two different classes of potential purchasers, those general fans looking for a single omnibus collection of the best or most popular of an artist’s efforts, and the aficionados primarily interested in rarities”. ~ William Ruhlmann” (Abridged from the catalogue)

Stephen Sondheim : a life / Secrest, Meryle
“”In the first full-scale life of the most important composer-lyricist at work in musical theatre today, Meryle Secrest draws on her extended conversations with Stephen Sondheim as well as on her interviews with his friends, family, collaborators, and lovers to bring us not only the artist – as a master of modernist compositional style – but also the private man.” “We see Sondheim at work with composers, producers, directors, co-writers, actors, the greats of his time and ours, among them Leonard Bernstein, Ethel Merman, Richard Rodgers, Oscar Hammerstein, Jerome Robbins, Zero Mostel, Bernadette Peters, and Lee Remick (with whom it was said he was in love, and she with him), as Secrest vividly re-creates the energy, the passion, the despair, the excitement, the genius, that went into the making of show after Sondheim show.”–BOOK JACKET. Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved” (Catalogue)

Sondheim’s Broadway musicals / Banfield, Stephen
“The first in-depth look at the work and career of one of the most important figures in the history of musical theater.” (Catalogue)

 

 

 

Finishing the hat : the collected lyrics of Stephen Sondheim with attendant comments, principles, heresies, grudges, whines and anecdotes / Sondheim, Stephen
“The winner of seven Tonys, seven Grammys, an Oscar, and a Pulitzer Prize, Stephen Sondheim has become synonymous with the best in musical theatre. Now, in Finishing the Hat, he has not only collected his lyrics for the first time, he’s giving readers a rare, personal look into his extraordinary shows and life. Along with the lyrics, both published and unpublished, for all of his productions from 1954 to 1981 – including West Side Story, Company, Follies, A Little Night Music, and Sweeney Todd, which have starred some of the most famous and talented actors in the world from Johnny Depp and Catherine Zeta Jones, to Judi Dench and Alan Rickman, Finishing the Hat is a celebration of the act of creation. Sondheim discusses his relationship with his mentor, Oscar Hammerstein II, and his collaborations with legends Leonard Bernstein, Richard Rodgers, Angela Lansbury, and countless others.  (Abridged from the catalogue)

Look, I made a hat : collected lyrics (1981-2011) with attendant comments, amplifications, dogmas, harangues, digressions, anecdotes and miscellany / Sondheim, Stephen
“Filled with behind-the-scenes photographs and illustrations from original manuscripts, and with the same elegant design as the earlier book, ‘Look, I Made A Hat’ will be devoured by Sondheim’s passionate fans today and for years to come.” (Catalogue)

 

The Stephen Sondheim collection : 52 selections from 17 musicals or film scores / Sondheim, Stephen
“Standards Piano/Vocal/Guitar” (Catalogue)

 

 

 

The Stephen Sondheim collection. Volume 2, 40 songs from 14 shows and films / Sondheim, Stephen
“Standards Piano/Vocal/Guitar” (Catalogue)

 

 

 

Sweeney Todd : the demon barber of Fleet Street / Sondheim, Stephen
“Musical Theatre Vocal Solo” (Catalogue)

 

Pioneering Reggae musician and producer Lee Scratch Perry has passed at 85

Neil

The unpredictable, eccentric, maverick, pioneering Reggae producer, and musical genius Lee Scratch Perry has passed at 85.

Lee Scratch Perry was born into harsh poverty in rural Jamaica and throughout his life walked a very thin line between genius and insanity. He worked in various menial jobs before moving to Kingston in the early 60’s where he eventually started working with Clement “Coxsone” Dodd and his touring sound system. Dodd and Perry eventually expanded into record production and, beginning a pattern that would follow Perry his whole life, Perry subsequently fell out with Dodd and went on to form his own Upsetter label.

Around this time, he produced many of  Bob Marley’s key early works, such as African Herbsman and had a profound effect on the young Marley’s creative vision and approach. Following the now clearly emerging pattern, the pair fell out after Lee Scratch Perry sold the master tapes of this early classic without Marley’s knowledge or consent.

His adventurous, ever-exploring production work in his legendary four track twelve-foot square Black Ark Studio in the mid to late 70’s cemented his reputation with a string of critically and commercially albums. And along the way with fellow sonic pioneer King Tubby, he was one of the key creative forces to create Dub music. However, his eccentric behaviour continued and came to a head in 1979, when fuelled by huge amounts of work, ganga and rum, he burnt the studio to the ground, believing it possessed and walked off into the wilderness. He eventually moved to Switzerland after spending time in the U.S, Amsterdam, and London, and only last year returned to Jamaica.

His later work was inconsistent but did include some fabulous collaborations with the likes of The Ord, The Beastie Boys and The  Clash, as well as fellow producers Adrian Sherwood and Mad Professor as well as several excellent solo albums. He also picked up a Grammy in 2003. During these later years was a failed attempt to rebuild the Black Ark studio, a plan which included a duck pond in the drum booth. It is an understatement to say we shall not see the likes of Lee Scratch Perry again.

We have an extensive selection of Lee Scratch Perry produced and created albums in our collection; below are just a few of our personal favourites. To see all of the Lee Scratch Perry works we have in our collection click here.

Arkology. / Perry, Lee
“Purportedly the definitive Lee “Scratch” Perry compilation, the three-CD set Arkology is loaded with good intentions and is carefully constructed, but with a back catalog like Perry’s — where it’s nearly impossible to find out what’s what — definitive in this case is a dream. Still, the compilers have done a fine job of providing an overview of Perry’s career that makes sense musically, historically, and culturally. For those who want to jump headlong into Perry’s world, this is the way to go.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

African herbsman / Marley, Bob
“The legendary Bob Marley and the Wailers album produced by Lee Scratch Perry.” ( Adapted from Catalogue)

 

 

 

Lee Perry and King Tubby in dub confrontation. / Perry, Lee
“King Tubby and Lee Scratch Perry deep in the cauldron of creativity that invented Dub reggae” ( Adapted from Catalogue)

 

 

The sound doctor : Lee Perry and the sufferers’ Black Ark singles and dub plates, 1972-1978. / Perry, Lee
“The Sound Doctor is one in a series of U.K. label Pressure Sounds compilations unearthing obscured sounds from Perry’s short-lived but intensely innovative Black Ark years. Much of the music here is transferred from dub plates, hissy acetate discs made directly from the soundboard in single editions to test how a mix would translate to vinyl.” (adapted from catalogue)

Super ape / Perry, Lee
” Often arguably cited as one of Lee Scratch Perry’s finest outings, but with so many exceptional albums it is a hard call to make. What there is no argument about is that  Super Ape is without any question an unparalleled dub and psychedelic reggae classic.” (Adapted from Catalogue). This is the vinyl copy; to check availability of the CD click here.

 

Scratch came Scratch saw Scratch conquered. / Perry, Lee
“Highly-regarded late period (2008) album from dub and reggae legend Lee Scratch Perry’. (Adapted from catalogue).

 

 

 

Blackboard jungle dub / Upsetters
“Essential Dub reggae album from Lee Scratch Perry and the Upsetters”(Adapted from catalogue)

 

 

 

Rootz reggae dub. / Perry, Lee
“On Rootz Reggae Dub Perry is doing his typical free-associative muttering over tasteful, slightly echoey backing tracks, featuring rudimentary percussion by Perry himself, as well as spirited backing vocals by Detroit trio Dames Brown and the Groovematist.  Essentially, it’s a lot of touching on past glories without really creating anything that stands up to them. Nevertheless, there are a few standout moments  which are calm, spacious, and pleasantly weird. ” (adapted from catalogue)

Rainford. / Perry, Lee
“Rainford contains all of Lee Perry’s unique stylings his wonderful iconic unmistakable vocal drawl and his trade mark free form lyrical style superbly combined with U Sounds musical production. The later dub remixed version Heavy rain is also worth a mention it is weirder and warmer and arguably an even better version of the material in Rainford.” (adapted from catalogue)
Click here for the availability of Heavy Rain.

Bunny Wailer, the last surviving founder member of The Wailers, passes at 73

Neil

The night is passed, the day is come
I see Jah shining in the shining sun.” Bunny Wailer – Lyrics from Armagideon. 

It is almost impossible to calculate the influence on modern music that The Wailers had. They revolutionised reggae, making it into the worldwide phenomenon it has become,  as well as leaving a cultural and social legacy way beyond their fabulous, and at the time ground-breaking, music. Bunny Wailer formed The Wailers with childhood friend Bob Marley in 1963 with Peter Tosh joining as the third core member soon after. They released their first album The Wailing Wailers in 1965; in actual fact, the release was less an album and more a collection of their best and most notable singles to that date, including such tracks as ‘Simmer Down’. It was their collaborations with producer Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry that was to really point the way to the future which was cemented when they released Catch a Fire on Island Records, often regarded as one of the greatest reggae albums of all time.

Bunny Wailer left The Wailers in 1973 and set off on an acclaimed solo career winning three Grammys along the way for best reggae album. We have extensive reggae, The Wailers and Bob Marley and the Wailers collections in our music collection – below are just a few of the highlights.

The wailing Wailers. / Wailers (Reggae)
“The Wailers first album containing: Put it on — I need you — Lonesome feeling — What’s new pussycat — One love — When the well runs dry — Ten commandments of love — Rude boy — It hurts to be alone — Love or affection — I’m still waiting — Simmer down.” ( Adapted from Catalogue) .

 

Blackheart man. / Wailer, Bunny
“Cast : Bunny Wailer,  Aston “Family Man” Barrett, Carlton “Carly” Barrett,  Robbie Shakespeare,  Tyrone Downie, Peter Tosh,  Tommy McCook and  Earl “Chinna” Smith.  Contents:  Blackheart man — Fighting against conviction — The oppressed song — Fig tree — Dream land — Rastaman — Reincarnated souls — Armagideon (Armagedon) — Bide up — This train.” ( Adapted from Catalogue) 

 

Catch a fire / Marley, Bob
“Catch a Fire was the major label debut for Bob Marley and the Wailers, and it was an international success upon its release in 1973. Although Bob Marley may have been the main voice, every member of the Wailers made valuable contributions and they were never more united in their vision and sound. All the songs were originals, and the instrumentation was minimalistic in order to bring out the passionate, often politically charged lyrics. This album is essential for any music collection.” (Catalogue)

Mama Africa. / Tosh, Peter
“Cast: Peter Tosh, Carlton “Santa” Davis, Lebert “Gibby” Morrison, Steve Golding, Donald Kinsey, Keith Stirling, Noel “Scully” Simms, Byron Allred and Dean “Youth Sax” Fraser. Contents : Side A: Mama Africa — Glass house — Not gonna give it up — Stop that train.  Side B: Johnny B. Goode — Where you gonna run — Peace treaty — Feel no way — Maga dog.” (Adapted from Catalogue.)  

 

Heavy rain. / Perry, Lee
“Produced by Lee “Scratch” Perry and Adrian Sherwood the dub companion to Rainford. Contents : Intro: music shall echo — Here come the warm dreads — Rattling bones and crowns — Mind worker — Enlightened — Hooligan Hank — Crickets in moonlight — Space craft — Dreams come true — Above and beyond — Heavy Rainford — Outro: wisdom.” (Adapted from Catalogue.)  

I & I : the natural mystics : Marley, Tosh and Wailer / Grant, Colin
“The Wailers are the undisputed kings of reggae, and one of the biggest and most influential groups of the 20th century. This book examines the history and development of the Wailers, and the overlapping stories of each member in detail. It also charts the complex relationship of these three strong personalities.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Lawrence Monsanto Ferlinghetti poet, has passed aged 101

Neil

Everything is holy! everybody’s holy! everywhere is holy! everyday is in eternity! Everyman’s an angel!” ― Allen Ginsberg, Howl and Other Poems

Lawrence Monsanto Ferlinghetti, the founder of World-famous and hugely influential City lights Bookstore, has passed aged 101. Ferlinghetti and the City Lights Bookstore had close ties and associations with the American, radical, romantic and often perceived as hedonistic Beat generation.

Ferlinghetti disliked the association despite publishing the famous Howl and other poems by Allen Ginsberg. Ginsberg was one of the three very different writers that came to epitomise the Beat movement the others being Jack Kerouac and William Burroughs. Each in their own way explored ideas of individual freedom, views on sexuality, and questioned the mainstream values and norms of the time such as ecological issues or the destructive ideas that underpin modern capitalism.

The Beat generation made many of these at the time minority views acceptable allowing them to percolate into mainstream culture and paved the way for the 1960s counterculture, and many of their ideas are now regarded as the norm today.

Ferlinghetti was also a poet (A Coney Island of the mind sold over one million copies), an artist and self-confessed Anarchist activist who avoided personal publicity and biographical details as much as possible. Often making up different versions of his past when asked. In later years the City Lights bookstore became a tourist attraction and a cultural focal point in San Francisco. So much so that the City proclaimed March the 23rd, his birthday, “Lawrence Ferlinghetti Day”.

We have a wide collection of Beat generation titles and even some City Light published books in our collection. For a small selection see below.


A Coney Island of the mind : poems / Ferlinghetti, Lawrence
“Ferlinghetti’s A Coney Island of the Mind has become a modern classic. It has been translated into nine languages and there are now three-quarters of a million copies in print. The title of this book is taken from Henry Miller’s “Into the Night Life” and expresses the way Lawrence Ferlinghetti felt about these poems when he wrote them during a short period in the 1950’s as if they were, taken together, a kind of Coney Island of the mind, a kind of circus of the soul.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Collected poems, 1947-1997 / Ginsberg, Allen
“The only volume of collected poems to cover the entire 50-year career of the poet “responsible for loosening the breath of American poetry at mid-century” (Helen Vendler). Here, for the first time, is a volume that gathers the published verse of Allen Ginsberg in its entirety, a half century of brilliant work from one of America’s great poets. The chief figure among the Beats, Ginsberg changed the course of American poetry, liberating it from closed academic forms with the creation of open, vocal, spontaneous, and energetic postmodern verse in the tradition of Walt Whitman, Guillaume Apollinaire, Hart Crane, Ezra Pound, and William Carlos Williams. ” (Adapted from Catalogue)

On the road / Kerouac, Jack
“On the Road is the classic story of two characters who set off on an odyssey through 1950s underground America. On the Road chronicles Kerouac’s years traveling the North American continent, from East Coast to West Coast to Mexico, with his friend Neal Cassady, “a sideburned hero of the snowy West.” As “Sal Paradise” and “Dean Moriarty,” the two roam the country in a quest for self-knowledge and experience. Kerouac’s love of America, his compassion for humanity, and his sense of language as jazz combine to make On the Road an inspirational work of lasting importance.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

The voice is all : the lonely victory of Jack Kerouac / Johnson, Joyce
” In The Voice is All, Joyce Johnson, author of her classic memoir, Door Wide Open, about her relationship with Jack Kerouac, brilliantly peels away layers of the Kerouac legend to show how, caught between two cultures and two languages, he forged a voice to contain his dualities. Looking more deeply than previous biographers into how Kerouac’s French Canadian background enriched his prose and gave him a unique outsider’s vision of America, she tracks his development from boyhood through the phenomenal breakthroughs of 1951 that resulted in the composition of On the Road, followed by Visions of Cody.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Cities of the red night / Burroughs, William S.
“While young men wage war against an evil empire of zealous mutants, the population of this modern inferno is afflicted with the epidemic of a radioactive virus. An opium-infused apocalyptic vision from the legendary author of Naked Lunch is the first of the trilogy with The Places of the Dead Roads and his final novel, The Western Plains.” (Catalogue)

Literary outlaw : the life and times of William S. Burroughs / Morgan, Ted
“Almost indecently readable . . . captures [Burroughs’s] destructive energy, his ferocious pessimism, and the renegade brilliance of his style.”–Vogue With a new preface as well as a final chapter on William S. Burroughs s last years, the acclaimed Literary Outlaw is the only existing full biography of an extraordinary figure. Anarchist, heroin addict, alcoholic, and brilliant writer, Burroughs was the patron saint of the Beats. His avant-garde masterpiece Naked Lunch shook up the literary world with its graphic descriptions of drug abuse and illicit sex and resulted in a landmark Supreme Court ruling on obscenity.” (Catalogue)

Women of the Beat generation : the writers, artists, and muses at the heart of revolution
“An anthology of the lives, writings and secrets of the women of the Beat Generation, this book contains biographies poetry and prose by Hettie Jones, Joyce Johnson, Ruth Weiss, Jan Kerouac, and others. It contains commentary by American poet of the year Anne Waldman and Allen Ginsberg.” (Catalogue)

The Beat Hotel : Ginsberg, Burroughs, and Corso in Paris, 1958-1963 / Miles, Barry
“The Beat Hotel has been closed for nearly forty years. But for a brief period–from just after the publication of Howl in 1957 until the building was sold in 1963–it was home to Allen Ginsberg, William Burroughs, Gregory Corso, Brion Gysin, Peter Orlovsky, Harold Norse, and a host of other luminaries of the Beat Generation. Now, Barry Miles–acclaimed author of many books on the Beats and a personal acquaintance of many of them–vividly excavates this remarkable period and restores it to a historical picture that has, until now, been skewed in favour of the two coasts of America.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

The best minds of my generation : a literary history of the Beats / Ginsberg, Allen
“A unique and compelling history of the Beats, in the words of the movement’s most central member, Allen Ginsberg, based on a seminal series of his lectures In summer 1977, Ginsberg thought it was time for a literary history of what he, Jack Kerouac, William S. Burroughs, and others had accomplished and designed a course he taught five times, first at the Naropa Institute and later at Brooklyn College. Compiled and edited by renowned Beat scholar Morgan, this book presents those lectures, complete with notes. .” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Rest in peace Neville Gilmore, January 2021

Joanne

With sadness Wellington City Libraries pays tribute to Neville Gilmore, Te Matehou, Te Atiawa, who, during his research for Wellington Tenths Trust (2001-2009), also gave so kindly and generously of his time and knowledge to our project, Ngā Tūpuna o te Whanganui-a-Tara (2001-2007).

Research team: Ngā Tūpuna o Te Whanganui-a-Tara (Lotofoa Fiu, Sandra Clarke, Neville, Ann)
Research team: Ngā Tūpuna o Te Whanganui-a-Tara (Lotofoa Fiu, Sandra Clarke, Neville, Ann Reweti)

It was a project that evolved from a kaupapa of breathing life into the written accounts of our Taranaki Whānui who migrated to this rohe from 1820s onward.

Tribunal research for Wai 145 was the basis for much of the 1840 colonisation and stories of the whenua, but a burning question for our library was, “Who were the people behind the names attached to this land?” On our approach to Wellington Tenths for assistance, Neville became “ the man” – who made clear to us, the myriad of whānau links interlocking and criss-crossing the landscape of Te Whanganui-a-Tara. As we became aware of the immensity of the work we’d undertaken we realised how vital was the input from Neville and the Wellington Tenths office to the production of our four books.

Several mana whanua at blessing of Nga Tupuna 2, including Mr Neville Gilmore
Wellington City Libraries : At the blessing of vol. 2

Through conversation with Neville, I came to realise the importance of not just the Minute Book succession records of the Māori Land Court but also the underlying “whakapapa” of the land as set out in the Land Block files, held also at the District Land Court offices.

There was a wealth of knowledge in Neville’s memory bank which he always delivered with enthusiasm and generosity and wisdom. In our later volumes we finally saw a light and asked Neville to contribute his own special stories – (see vol. 4) – Mata Pekainu Tumatuhiata, Komene Paipa, Te Kere Ngataierua, Hare Parata. There is his story of Te Rei Pukekura, husband of Mihi Korama Te Toru – Te Rei was related by marriage to Ngake and Patukawenga, Ropiha Moturoa and Hohepa Kopiri. He was the son of Te Moana Pounamu (Martina Ruta) and Tawhirikura who in turn was the daughter of Waireinga and Wahanga. Te Rei was also the brother of Haneta Toea.

Then there’s the description of Rawiri Motutere/Koheta : Rawiri was tall, athletic and ‘straight as a spear’ – He had a beautiful tāmoko which had a particular blue texture. He was very fair, that is, as white in the face as a Pakeha with red hair. When he went out he always wore a mata-huna (mask) to protect his fair skin from the sun. The tāmoko of the mask was an exact replica of that upon his face.

Wellington City Libraries : launch of vol. 3
Wellington City Libraries : launch of vol. 3

But Neville was also a huge influence in the wider published history of the rohe, including Pipitea. Some books are listed below, but he would also have contributed to many more as a researcher.

Ngā tūpuna o Te Whanganui-a-Tara. Volume 4 by Sandra Clarke
“This book, produced by Wellington City Libraries profiles another 29 Tupuna who migrated to Te Whanganui-a-Tara (the Great Harbour of Tara), or Port Nicholson, in a series of Heke during the 1820’s and 1830’s. These iwi were mainly Te Ati Awa, Ngati Tama and Ngati Ruanui. Tupuna featured include Ihikaera te Waikapoariki; Taare Tahua; Mata Pekainu Tumatuhiata; Hori Ngapaka; Hori Pipi; Te Teira Whatakore; Ihaka Te Rou; Te Poho-o-te-rangi; Arapera Rongouaroa; Teretiu Tuwhare; Karena Waitere; Ingo Takata; Hare Parata; Kereopa te Wharepouri; Mere Pararaki; Mohi Puketapu; and several more.”
Other volumes : vol 1, vol 2, vol 3.

Gilmore, Neville. The myth of the overlords : tenure in Te Whanganui-a-Tara, 1819-1847. [Wai 145, G3]

Gilmore, Neville and Liz Mellish. Cultural Report Lambton Harbour (held by the National Library).

Hailwood, Ritihia and Neville Gilmore, Wellington Tenths Trust. Wellington Tenths Trust GIS map book 2004

Johnston, Warwick (in collaboration with Neville Gilmore) detailing the history of the Hutt Valley, e.g. The history of Petone foreshore.

Moe mai ra e te rangatira
Moe mai ra I roto I te ngakau o te kaihanga
E kore rawa koe e warewaretia
Moe mai, moe mai ra

E te hunga mate, te hunga kua whetūrangitia
moe mai, moe mai, moe mai rā,
haere ki te huinga o te kahurangi,
ki Hawaiki nui, ki Hawaiki roa, ki Hawaiki pamamao,
haere, haere haere atu ra.

Beloved polymath Clive James dies at 80

Louise

Latest readings / James, Clive (2015)A final flood of colours will live on
As my mind dies,
Burned by my vision of a world that shone
So brightly at the last, and then was gone
— From Japanese Maple, Clive James, 2014

The author and broadcaster Clive James died on Sunday at the age of 80.

James had grown up in Sydney and left for Britain in the early 1960s where he found success as a poet, critic, essayist, and broadcaster. As a member of Footlights at Cambridge University James cultivated his persona as a ‘funny guy’ and part of his popularity stemmed from his ability to move between the high and low brow worlds of academia, literature, popular culture, television, and the cult of celebrity.

A prolific author, Clive James wrote gorgeous poetry, acerbic (and funny) criticism, and evocative memoirs. His descriptions of growing up in Sydney in the forties and fifties were wonderful evocations of the love an ex-pat has for the homeland that they ‘escaped’ in younger years.

After starting as a TV critic for The Observer in 1972, James had a television career with shows such as Clive James on Television. Always aware of popular culture he also wrote about the pleasures of binge-watching as box-sets and streaming became popular.

In the 21st century, James embraced the Internet and had his own web series, Clive James Talking in the Library, where he interviewed cultural figures such as Stephen Fry, Nick Hornby, and Michael Frayn:

James’s publisher and editor, Don Paterson, noted of him in The Independent today: “Any encounter [with him], either in print or in person, left you desperate to go and open a book, watch a film or a TV show, or hunt down a recording.”

We have a selection of books by Clive James in our collections that we encourage you to ‘hunt down’ and enjoy.

In his own words:

“If you don’t know the exact moment when the lights will go out, you might as well read until they do”


Poetry notebook : 2006-2014 / James, Clive
“Clive James is one of our finest critics and best-loved cultural voices. He is also a prize-winning poet. Since he was first enthralled by the mysterious power of poetry, he has been a dedicated student. In fact, for Clive, poetry has been nothing less than the occupation of a lifetime, and in this book he presents a distillation of all he’s learned about the art form that matters to him most.” (From our catalogue)

The blaze of obscurity / James, Clive
“Clive James on TV – and now in book form. Clive James will always be a TV presenter first and foremost, and a writer second – this despite the fact that his adventures with the written work took place before, during and after his time on the small screen. This book tells the inside story of his years in television.” (From our catalogue)

Cultural cohesion: the essential essays, 1968-2002 / James, Clive
“Following his much-heralded publication of Cultural Amnesia, Clive James presents here his “prequel”-forty-nine essays, which he has selected as representing the best of his half-century career. Cultural Cohesion examines the twisted cultural terrain of the twentieth century in a volume that is not only erudite but also endlessly entertaining. Dividing his book into four sections – “Poetry,” “Fiction and Literature,” “Culture and Criticism,” and ”Visual Images” – James comments on poets like W. H. Auden , novelists like Raymond Chandler, and filmmakers like Fellini .” (From our catalogue)

Latest readings / James, Clive
“In 2010, Clive James was diagnosed with terminal leukemia. Deciding that “if you don’t know the exact moment when the lights will go out, you might as well read until they do,” James moved his library to his house in Cambridge, where he would “live, read, and perhaps even write.” This volume contains his reflections on what may well be his last reading list. A look at some of his old favorites as well as some recent discoveries, this book also offers a revealing look at the author himself, sharing his evocative musings on literature and family, and on living and dying. This valediction to James’s lifelong engagement with the written word is a captivating valentine from one of the great literary minds of our time.” (Adapted from our catalogue)

Play all : a bingewatcher’s notebook / James, Clive
“Since serving as television columnist for the London Observer from 1972 to 1982, James has witnessed a radical change in content, format, and programming, and in the very manner in which TV is watched. Here he examines this unique cultural revolution, providing a brilliant, eminently entertaining analysis of many of the medium’s most notable twenty-first-century accomplishments and their not always subtle impact on modern society–including such acclaimed serial dramas as Breaking Bad, and The Sopranos. With intelligence and wit, James explores a television landscape expanded by cable and broadband and profoundly altered by the advent of Netflix, Amazon, and other “cord-cutting” platforms that have helped to usher in a golden age of unabashed binge-watching.” (Adapted from our catalogue)

Somewhere Becoming Rain: Collected Writings On Philip Larkin / James, Clive
“This book gathers all of James’s writing on this towering literary figure, together with material now published for the first time. James writes about Larkin’s poems, his novels, his jazz and literary criticism; he also considers the two major biographies, Larkin’s letters and even his portrayal on stage in order to chart the extreme and, he argues, largely misguided equivocations about Larkin’s reputation in the years since his death. Through this joyous and perceptive book, Larkin’s genius is delineated and celebrated. James argues that Larkin’s poems, adored by discriminating readers for over half a century, could only have been the product of his reticent, diffident, flawed, and all-too-human personality. Erudite and entertaining in equal measure, Somewhere Becoming Rain is a love letter from one of the world’s best living writers to one of its most cherished poets.” (Adapted from our catalogue)