Selvbiografier

Over the course of her sixty-five-year career, the longest of any female filmmaker, Agnès Varda (1928-2019) wrote and directed some of the most acclaimed films of her era, from her tour de force Cléo from 5 to 7 (1962), a classic of modernist cinema, to the beloved documentary The Gleaners and I (2000) four decades later. She helped to define the French New Wave, inspired an entire generation of filmmakers, and was recognized with major awards at the Cannes, Berlin, and Venice Film Festivals, as well as an honorary Oscar at the Academy Awards.In this lively biography, former Philadelphia Inquirer film critic Carrie Rickey explores the "complicated passions" that informed Varda's charmed life and indelible work. Rickey traces Varda's three remarkable careers-as still photographer, as filmmaker, and as installation artist. She explains how Varda was a pioneer in blurring the lines between documentary and fiction, using the latest digital technology and carving a path for women in the movie industry. She demonstrates how Varda was years ahead of her time in addressing sexism, abortion, labor exploitation, immigrant rights, and race relations with candor and incisiveness. She makes clear Varda's impact on contemporary figures like Ava DuVernay, Greta Gerwig, Barry Jenkins, the Safdie brothers, and Martin Scorsese, who called her one of the Gods of cinema. And she delves into Varda's incredibly rich social life with figures such as Harrison Ford, Jean-Luc Godard, Jim Morrison, Susan Sontag, and Andy Warhol, and her nearly forty-year marriage to the celebrated director Jacques Demy.A Complicated Passion is the vibrant biography that Varda, regarded by many as the greatest female filmmaker of all time, has long deserved.

"Howard French's The Second Emancipation stands the second half of the last century on its geopolitical head." --David Levering Lewis, winner of the Pulitzer Prize

A thrilling new history of the late Roman Republic, told through one woman's quest for justice.

Jalal Al-Ahmad was a well-known writer in Persian literature and a man about whom a lot of criticism was directed. Because he was a favourite supporter of Mr. Khomeini, the streets and schools in Iran were named after him. This book attempts to examine his works, what he said and his life using existing documents.Jalal Al-Ahmad was also a part of our contradictory society, and he was raised in it. He reflected his thoughts in his books, because he could as well have been tired of this contradictory life and looked for a better uniformity. He was against monotony and loved to create changes by moving in different directions to entertain himself. He was indifferent to the results, thus his contradictory works and writings shouldn't be taken at face value. One must try to draw the truth out of contradictions.

I've come to understand that loss, while taking much, can also give. It can offer hope, strength, and most importantly, love. Such is the boundless love of God, who loved us so deeply that He gave His one and only Son to die for all of us-yes, all of us, including you-no matter what you have done (John 3:16). Sometimes, His love arrives shrouded in the darkness of loss, but even then, His promise remains unchanged: He came so that you and I may have life, and have it in abundance (John 10:10). So, beloved, as loss has taken from you, I ask: what has it given in return? Remember, perception is everything.

Melinda's journey begins in the bustling streets of Bristol, where childhood memories of candy-filled visits to Sid's shop and daring paper rounds paint a vivid picture of innocence and adventure. As she navigates the challenges of growing up in a tight-knit community, Melinda's life is a testament to resilience and the enduring spirit of youth. Her story is a nostalgic exploration of simpler times, filled with the sweet taste of frozen Mars bars and the camaraderie of schoolyard friendships.From the lively streets of Totterdown to the serene landscapes of South Wales, Melinda's tale is one of love, loss, and the indomitable human spirit. She faces the trials of adulthood with the same determination that saw her through childhood adventures, finding strength in family, work, and the occasional act of kindness. A Moment in Time: Childhood Memories is a heartfelt memoir that captures the essence of a life lived fully, marked by the highs and lows that make us who we are. Join Melinda as she reflects on her past, embraces the present, and looks forward to the future with hope and grace.

First published in 1973 Macaulay explores important aspects of the interrelationship between Macaulay's literary and political careers, sets his achievements as an author within the context of his achievements as a public man, and examines some of the sources of his popularity and success.

A fresh and approachable critical biography of the twentieth-century Anglo-American writer. Christopher Isherwood wrote modernist novels before he evolved into a pioneer of autofiction; his novel Goodbye to Berlin inspired the hit musical Cabaret. Everything changed when Isherwood emigrated to America in 1939. His newfound pacifism and studies as a Hindu monk led to new kinds of novels, including A Single Man, that reflected his evolving spiritual interests and blazed a trail for the gay liberation movement. In this new biography, Jake Poller takes a holistic approach to Isherwood, exploring his life and writing as well as the impact of Vedanta philosophy on Isherwood's work. This book offers a concise yet thorough account of a monumental figure.

The breakneck adventure of war, romance, politics, and betrayal, where noble gentleman privateer William Kidd becomes a scapegoat, and Crown and crew sink to unfathomable depths to brand him pirate enemy #1.

Upon the fifth anniversary of the murder of George Floyd comes a landmark book on leadership, justice, and race by the first Black police chief in the history of the Minneapolis Police Department, the man who led through and beyond the crime, the historic protest movement, and the nationwide reckoning on race and policing

Jackie Devoy, the 'Dublin Marilyn,' invites you into her vibrant world filled with color, passion, and a touch of Hollywood glamour. In The Dublin Marilyn House, Jackie shares her inspiring journey of self-discovery, resilience, and the pursuit of dreams.From her humble beginnings in Dublin's inner city to her adventures on reality TV and her unique Marilyn Monroe-themed homes, Jackie's story is a testament to the power of embracing individuality and finding joy in life's unexpected turns. With heartwarming anecdotes, design tips, and a sprinkle of Irish charm, this book will leave you feeling uplifted, inspired, and ready to create a life as colourful as Jackie's.

A lively dual biography of the two great English orators of the eighteenth century, who cultivated a friendship across their political differences.

The first ever critical biography of Helen Chadwick, who died tragically young but is now revered as a pioneering feminist artist. Helen Chadwick (1953-1996) embraced the sensuous aspects of the natural world, breaking taboos of the 'traditional' or 'beautiful'. Her sculpture, performance and photography is radical, provocative and often steeped in humour, and employs unusual, sometimes grotesque materials - bodily fluids, meat, flowers, chocolate and compost among them. She quickly became a leading figure amongst Britain's post-war avant-garde, becoming one of the first women to be nominated for the Turner Prize. A dedicated teacher, she mentored the majority of the Young British Artists and is now known as the 'mother of the YBAs'. She was also involved in the artistic community at Beck Road, Hackney, whose residents included Maureen Paley, Richard Deacon and Genesis P-Orridge. Although she was widely exhibited during her lifetime, attention to Chadwick's work declined following her unexpected death in 1996, and it is only relatively recently that the significance of her work has been acknowledged afresh. Coinciding with a major touring retrospective, this publication spans the breadth of her practice, from her renowned MA degree show In the Kitchen (1977) through to her seminal Piss Flowers (1991-2). Merging art and life, with a focus on Chadwick's interdisciplinary interests and engagement with education, music and politics, as well as an in-depth study of her art and ideas, the book is a fitting tribute to her vital impact on social and cultural history.

Better known as 'Lizzie Siddal', the model who posed for John Everett Millais's painting Ophelia, Elizabeth Eleanor Rossetti is now finally recognised as a Pre-Raphaelite artist in her own right, working alongside her male colleagues on equal terms. Elizabeth's designs were truly original, the creation of her own imagination. They embodied the essence of Pre-Raphaelitism that her husband Gabriel and other members of the circle were striving to achieve. The male members of the group shamelessly copied the ideas from Elizabeth's small sketches to create their own large masterpieces which have since become the epitome of Pre-Raphaelite art. The exclusion of women from the narrative has had a major impact in creating the perception of the Pre-Raphaelites as a predominantly male artistic movement; in Beyond Ophelia Dr Glenda Youde shows Elizabeth not to be a pathetic drowning figure, but as the initiator of a directional change in the visual development of Pre-Raphaelite art. Featuring a unique collection of photographs of Elizabeth's work commissioned by her husband after her death, this book highlights the critical importance of her role within the Pre-Raphaelite circle, and one which ultimately led to the evolution of the Aesthetic Movement.

This is a biography lightened with the intimate tone of a social memoir, about a woman who was both a bystander and protagonist through some fifty years of twentieth-century British history. Pamela Berry was the daughter of the famous and brilliant self-made politician and lawyer, F.E.Smith, the first Earl of Birkenhead, and married the son of another self-made buccaneer, William Berry from south Wales, who became Viscount Camrose and the owner of a group of national newspapers, including the Daily Telegraph. She had an unusually glamorous and precocious upbringing, spoiled by her adoring father and much photographed by Cecil Beaton, and in her prime used her position as a newspaper proprietor's wife to become the most famous political and press hostess of her generation, harnessing her beauty and wit to influence the successive governments of the day.

Writers Revealed tells the stories of the best-loved writers in English literature, investigating their enduring appeal from the sixteenth century to today through the collections of the National Portrait Gallery and the British Library. Intimate handwritten manuscripts, letters and notebooks as well as rare first editions of books from the British Library are paired with the National Portrait Gallery's outstanding collection of author portraits. From William Shakespeare to Zadie Smith, Writers Revealed features over 70 poets, novelists and academics. Each short profile - which provides insight into the writers' inspirations, struggles, and working practices - is beautifully illustrated with a portrait and manuscript. Readers will enjoy in-depth encounters with some of the world's most famous writers, including James Joyce, Bernardine Evaristo, Virginia Woolf, Bram Stoker, Jane Austen, Benjamin Zephaniah, and Angela Carter, and discover just what it is that makes these individuals so endlessly compelling.

From a Lake District farm to the pulsating heart of London's nightlife, Jim Wyllie's 'Flashing Lights' charts an extraordinary path through UK clubland in the 70s, 80s, and 90s. Wyllie's ascent is nothing short of remarkable: from entertaining holidaymakers at 16 to becoming the youngest Nightclub Manager in the Star Circuit's history at 18, before becoming the owner of groundbreaking bars, restaurants and nightclubs in London's West End.This memoir offers a kaleidoscopic view of an era, blending hilarious anecdotes with personal reflections and cultural insights. Wyllie's narrative defies simple categorization, presenting an easy read that invites deeper contemplation. It's an intoxicating mix of showmanship and psychology, combining the spectacle of Barnum and Bailey with the wit of Del Boy, the insight of Freud, and the candor of Bridget Jones.Jim Wyllie's 'Flashing Lights' captures the highs, lows, and everything in between of a life lived in the spotlight. Whether you're nostalgic for the golden age of clubbing or curious about the machinations of nightlife, Wyllie's story promises to enthrall and enlighten, offering a vibrant glimpse into the era that shaped modern club culture.

BY THE AUTHOR OF MULTI-AWARDWINNING #1 SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER: THE FIVE, THE WOMEN KILLED BY JACK THE RIPPERA fascinating feminist retelling of the historical true-crime story of infamous wife-murderer Dr Crippen in Edwardian England, brought to justice by an extraordinary group of musichall women'Unbelievably addictive. Written with a unique combination of sleuthing, storytelling and compassion' LUCY WORSLEY___________No murderer should ever be the keeper of their victim's story ...On 1 February, 1910, vivacious musichall performer, Belle Elmore, suddenly vanished from her north London home, causing alarm among her circle of female friends, the entertainers of the Music Hall Ladies' Guild who demanded an immediate investigation.They could not have known what they would provoke: the unearthing of a gruesome secret, followed by a fevered manhunt for the prime suspect: Belle's husband, medical fraudster, Dr Hawley Harvey Crippen.Hiding in the shadows of this evergreen tale is Crippen's typist and lover, Ethel Le Neve - was she really just 'an innocent young girl' in thrall to a powerful older man as so many people have since reported?And what is the story behind the death of Crippen's first wife, Charlotte, who died so quietly, never to be heard of again?In this epic examination of one of the most infamous murders of the twentieth century, prizewinning social historian Hallie Rubenhold gives voice to those who have never properly been heard - the women.Featuring a carnival cast of eccentric entertainers, glamorous lawyers, zealous detectives, medics and liars, STORY OF A MURDER is forensically researched and multi-layered, offering the contemporary reader an electrifying snapshot of Britain and America at the dawn of the modern era.

The study is located in the broader frame work of rise and growth of regional parties and identity politics in India as a part and consequence of India's adopted model of state and nation building, integration and socio-economic development and transformation.

In Real Vanilla, Nature's Unsung Hero LittlePod's founder Janet Sawyer tells of her company's mission over the last fifteen years to save real vanilla which was under threat of being lost within a generation. They have made a huge difference, encouraging the development of vanilla paste in a tube, supporting farming communities in the world's equatorial regions and educating consumers all around the world about the importance and value of vanilla to the planet. Through LittlePod supporting a pioneering polyculture orchard in Indonesia, it has helped educate future generations about a precious plant that is the essence of sustainability. This is a fascinating story of how a determined woman used the 'empty nest' time in her life to build a company whilst learning about biodiversity, supporting farmers' livelihoods and creating a family of human relationships - fondly known as 'LittlePodders'.