"On the Guest List: Adventures of a Music Journalist" is a fun, upbeat memoir about a girl who loves music and life in general. Maryanne paints a vivid picture of being a teenager in the 1970s and young woman in the 1980s -- and how the punk, new wave and rock scene was from a young fan's viewpoint. Life truly comes together for Maryanne once she creates a career for herself reporting on the music she loves, writing for publications such as The Aquarian Arts Weekly, music.com and Punk magazine. Unlike other music memoirs, there is no downward spiral into drugs and addiction. Nor is it a groupie "tell all." "On the Guest List" is simply a compilation of mostly happy memories straight from the pages of Maryanne's diaries -- and of course, her heart.

The first travel book for the sisters!

Having failed at rapping, what’s next for an endlessly passionate rap nerd? In this sequel to the acclaimed memoir Wiggaz With Attitude, it turns out what’s next is a sometimes controversial career in rap journalism. Write Lines: Adventures in Rap Journalism tells the tale of hip-hop writing from the inside. From death threats to interviewing Lauryn Hill while she’s in the shower. From calling Jay-Z a c*** to his face, to letting a notorious rapper sleep in his bath, it’s a hilarious, anecdote-studded tale that takes in hip-hop's first ever magazine and lifts the lid on rivalries, squabbles and how music journalism really works. Brutally honest and endlessly opinionated, Write Lines is also a love letter to hip-hop as it changed seismically through the decades. It charts those changes from the front line through encounters with many of the greats of rap: Chuck D, Missy Elliott, RZA, Eminem, Jazzy Jeff and Gang Starr. This is an unfiltered tale of hip-hop that is both heartfelt and scabrously funny.

I was first introduced to this larger than life character back in 1979, albeit through a projector onto the silver screen, Quadrophenia, the film that launched a 1000 faces. 18 years later, I would finally meet this totally outrageous person who became one of my closest friends, lush, side kick, partner in crime and mentalist. A man who would have a huge impact on my life, from sharing a gay Ted Baker tent in Brighton and keeping the whole campsite awake, singing at the tops of our voices in west end bars, TV interviews, book launches, film premiers, marathon drinking sessions and crazy weekend parties that Keith Moon would have been proud of! A man who has worked with the cream of fine actors and rock royalty. A man that can instantly lift you out of your gloom and have you in fits of laughter with his life stories, a man with extra ordinary talent actor, presenter, songwriter, composer, compere, musician, non-conformist, life contributor, annoying jingle creator and dog lover. Basically, a man that you want to be your friend. Inside the covers of this book lies the true stories from behind the scenes of the life of this man. Ladies and gentleman, I give you Mr Gary Shail."

Award-winning musical dramatist and teacher David Spencer provides a guide-to-the-game that helps you negotiate aspects of the musical theatre business and more.

From the author of The Italian Teacher, this acclaimed debut novel set in Rome follows the topsy-turvy lives of the denizens of an English language newspaper. NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY Janet Maslin, The New York Times • The Economist • NPR • Slate • The Christian Science Monitor • Financial Times • The Plain Dealer • Minneapolis Star Tribune • St. Louis Post-Dispatch • The Kansas City Star • The Globe and Mail • Publishers Weekly Look in the back of the book for a conversation between Tom Rachman and Malcolm Gladwell Fifty years and many changes have ensued since the paper was founded by an enigmatic millionaire, and now, amid the stained carpeting and dingy office furniture, the staff’s personal dramas seem far more important than the daily headlines. Kathleen, the imperious editor in chief, is smarting from a betrayal in her open marriage; Arthur, the lazy obituary writer, is transformed by a personal tragedy; Abby, the embattled financial officer, discovers that her job cuts and her love life are intertwined in a most unexpected way. Out in the field, a veteran Paris freelancer goes to desperate lengths for his next byline, while the new Cairo stringer is mercilessly manipulated by an outrageous war correspondent with an outsize ego. And in the shadows is the isolated young publisher who pays more attention to his prized basset hound, Schopenhauer, than to the fate of his family’s quirky newspaper. As the era of print news gives way to the Internet age and this imperfect crew stumbles toward an uncertain future, the paper’s rich history is revealed, including the surprising truth about its founder’s intentions. Spirited, moving, and highly original, The Imperfectionists will establish Tom Rachman as one of our most perceptive, assured literary talents.

Birmingham has a tradition of individualism and experimentation, giving rise to a fragmented but innovative culture. This applies to the city's contemporary music scene just as it does to the rest of its cultural heritage, which explains why the Birmingham sound is hard to define. Whereas other cities are known for a certain sound, this city celebrates its diversity. In this new decade, the plethora of exciting indie bands, sick rappers and emotive singer-songwriters are surrounded by a collective of DJs, producers, promoters, venues, bloggers and vloggers who promote them. There's an agglomeration building, coalescing around the Birmingham Music Awards, whose mission is to amplify this uprising to the world. In this book, Stephen Pennell's reviews and musings shine a light on Birmingham's finest up-and-coming performers playing the city's most iconic venues, taking us on a unique journey around Birmingham's music scene.