How Remote Politics Wrecked Britain

The Social Distance Between Us

This is McGarvey at his best, asking discomfiting questions of many-most?-of his readers and also pointing out that class inequality is endlessly reproduced by people who either do well out of it or are too institutionalised to see what is in front of them. The quality of McGarvey's reporting and storytelling is first-rate... he makes no end of astute points

An Orwell for today's poor... By the end readers will be left in no doubt about the fact that our society is still riven by class inequality

Vital and indispensable. Documents how we succeeded in creating a 21st century ruling class who - in their complacency, their lack of engagement, their blinkered ideology and dead-hand managerialism - are themselves, now, the principal source of the social problems they so confidently locate elsewhere, and which they therefore cannot even begin to solve

An essential read for every politician, civil servant, councillor, charity worker, police officer and teacher. [An] angry, but controlled, expose of the wide gap between Britain's decision-makers and those most affected by their thoughtless, stupid or selfish actions.

Darren McGarvey grew up in Pollok, Glasgow. He is a writer, hip-hop artist, broadcaster and campaigner. His bestselling and acclaimed first book Poverty Safari was awarded the Orwell Prize for political writing in 2018.

Darren's new book - Trauma Industrial Complex - is out now 
 
 
*A RADIO 4 BOOK OF THE WEEK* 
*SHORTLISTED FOR THE RATHBONES FOLIO PRIZE FOR NON-FICTION* 
*LONGLISTED FOR THE RSL ONDAATJE PRIZE* 
 
'An Orwell for today's poor' - The Times 
'The standout, authentic voice of a generation' - Herald 
'McGarvey is a rarity: a working-class writer who has fought to make the middle-class world hear what he has to say' - Nick Cohen, Guardian 
 
Why are the rich getting richer while the poor only get poorer? How is it possible that in a wealthy, civilised democracy cruelty and inequality are perpetuated by our own public services? And how come, if all the best people are in all the top jobs, Britain is such an unmitigated bin fire? 
 
Join Darren McGarvey on a journey through a divided Britain in search of answers. Here, our latter-day Orwell exposes the true scale of Britain's social ills and reveals why our current political class, those tasked with bringing solutions, are so distanced from our lived experience that they are the last people you'd want fighting your corner. 
 
Praise for Darren McGarvey: 
 
'Utterly compelling' Ian Rankin, New Statesman 
'An absolutely fascinating individual' Owen Jones 
'Offer[s] an antidote to populist anger that transcends left and right... articulate and emotional' Financial Times

Darren McGarvey

Darren writes powerfully and poignantly about the unanticipated impact of becoming a poster boy for Scotland's social ills.

An at times brutally exposing account… McGarvey shows a maturity that belies many writers on similar topics; Trauma Industrial Complex therefore succeeds as far more than memoir.

If it is taken seriously, it should have consequences… truly courageous, sincere and difficult.

He’s a good person to write this book… uncompromising in his message.

The standout, authentic voice of a generation

McGarvey is a rarity: a working-class writer who has fought to make the middle-class world hear what he has to say

Offer[s] an antidote to populist anger that transcends left and right... articulate and emotional

The quality of McGarvey's reporting and storytelling is first-rate

How Oversharing Became a Product in a Digital World

*The new book from the Orwell Prize-Winning author of Poverty Safari and The Social Distance Between Us* 
 
Today, trauma permeates media, from music and television to films and books – my own included. While the increasing openness is welcome, I’ve observed that this rise has been accompanied by a parallel explosion of disinformation and sometimes harmful guidance about how to deal with personal trauma. 
 
In Trauma Industrial Complex, I ask the question: How did we get here? And are the stories we’re telling ourselves liberating us or keeping us trapped? In this revealing and deeply personal book, I’ll pull back the curtain, sharing the hard-won wisdom I’ve gained from the events brought on by telling my own story. 
 
Praise for Darren McGarvey: 
 
‘An Orwell for today's poor’ – The Times 
‘The standout, authentic voice of a generation’ – Herald 
‘McGarvey is a rarity: a working-class writer who has fought to make the middle-class world hear what he has to say’ – Nick Cohen, Guardian

Darren McGarvey

Praise for Trauma Industrial Complex

Brilliant and thought provoking.

Darren writes powerfully and poignantly about the unanticipated impact of becoming a poster boy for Scotland's social ills.

Raw, insightful and provocative.

Brilliant and thought provoking.

Darren writes powerfully and poignantly about the unanticipated impact of becoming a poster boy for Scotland's social ills.

Raw, insightful and provocative.

Brilliant and thought provoking.

Darren writes powerfully and poignantly about the unanticipated impact of becoming a poster boy for Scotland's social ills.

Raw, insightful and provocative.

Books by Darren McGarvey

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