Coming Soon!
BAD PENNY BLUES
Site last updated: 23/10/2020
London 1959: Police Constable Pete Bradley has done one year in the force and dreams of moving up. His destiny arrives when the body of a young woman is dumped on the banks of the Thames. She’s the first in a series of murders whose naked victims are left in and along the river. Pete’s search for the phantom killer will lead him deep into London’s underbelly as the 1960s start to swing.
Meanwhile Stella Reade, an art student living in bohemian Ladbroke Grove, is woken by terrifying nightmares that echo the last hours of the murdered women – all of whom have been plucked from the streets around her home. Streets where fascists and Teddy boys, migrants and anarchists chase illicit thrills with gangsters and lords.
Bad Penny Blues is inspired by the ‘Jack the Stripper’ case of 1959-65, which sparked the biggest manhunt in Metropolitan Police history but was never solved.
A brand new edition Cathi Unsworth's Bad Penny Blues will be published by Strange Attractor Press soon. Watch this space for details!
Cathi Unsworth Portrait and Bad Penny Blues jacket design by Etienne Gilfillan
Meanwhile Stella Reade, an art student living in bohemian Ladbroke Grove, is woken by terrifying nightmares that echo the last hours of the murdered women – all of whom have been plucked from the streets around her home. Streets where fascists and Teddy boys, migrants and anarchists chase illicit thrills with gangsters and lords.
Bad Penny Blues is inspired by the ‘Jack the Stripper’ case of 1959-65, which sparked the biggest manhunt in Metropolitan Police history but was never solved.
A brand new edition Cathi Unsworth's Bad Penny Blues will be published by Strange Attractor Press soon. Watch this space for details!
Cathi Unsworth Portrait and Bad Penny Blues jacket design by Etienne Gilfillan
Listen to Bad Penny Blues – The Transmissions
To get yourself in the mood for Bad Penny Blues, lend an ear to The Transmissions, a sonic meeting between Cathi and electronic composer Pete Woodhead recreating the spookiest sections of the book – the last nights of the victims of Jack the Stripper.
Listen to The Transmissions HERE
Listen to The Transmissions HERE
CATHI ON THE LYDIAN SPIN PODCAST
Cathi talks to Lydia and Tim about Bad Penny Blues ahead of its forthcoming reissue this autumn by Strange Attractor Press. This fictionalized investigation into the Jack the Stripper murders – 1960s London’s biggest unsolved case – comes with a new Introduction from Greil Marcus and an afterword in which the author details just how haunting the process of recreating the book’s milieu became. LISTEN HERE
Cathi with Jordan
"IF YOU'VE NEVER READ A BOOK ABOUT PUNK, THIS IS THE ONLY ONE YOU'LL EVER NEED"
– Julie Burchill, The New Statesman
"I WAS ENTIRELY ABSORBED. POP-CULTURAL HISTORIANS HAVE BEEN COMBING THE DEBRIS OF PUNK FOR DECADES, BUT JORDAN AND HER RESOURCEFUL AMANEUSIS CATHI UNSWORTH HAVE BROUGHT ALL KINDS OF UNEXPECTED GEMS TO LIGHT."
– DJ Taylor, author of Orwell: The Life
"JORDAN'S EXTRAORDINARY GOSPEL IS HERE TO SET YOU STRAIGHT"
– Ian Fortnum, Classic Rock 9/10
"THE LAST GREAT PUNK STORY BEAUTIFULLY TOLD"
– John Robb, Louder Than War
"THE MOST INSIGHTFUL PUNK BOOK SINCE ENGLAND'S DREAMING. IMPECCABLE STYLE BUT SUBSTANCE TOO"
– Jim Wirth, Uncut 8/10
“Jordan created punk rock. She was selling it on the front line” – Adam Ant
“Jordan was the original Sex Pistol” – Derek Jarman
With her white beehive and Mondrian make up, Jordan’s look helped shape a revolution and has continued to be an iconic part of pop culture ever since. In Defying Gravity, the authors talk to key faces of the punk scene including Vivienne Westwood, Paul Cook, Marco Pirroni, Holly Johnson and Michael Collins – Jordan’s partner behind the SEX counter – to reveal the true story of a life at the eye of punk’s storm. How did a ballet mad girl from sleepy Sussex make her way – via the gay clubs of Brighton and London – to 430 King’s Road and the eye of punk’s storm? Jordan finally reveals her outrageous life story as she shares her adventures with McLaren and Westwood, The Sex Pistols, Adam and The Ants, Derek Jarman and Andy Warhol. Complete with specially commissioned cover art by Graham Humphreys, Defying Gravity also features a wealth of previously unseen images from Simon Barker, Sheila Rock and Harri Peccinotti .
Jordan explains. “I had been asked a few times if I would embark on writing my memoir but either felt it self indulgent or simply not the right time, and it took a series of events, unexpected meetings and inspired people to make me want to do it. I needed encouragement to put my thoughts into writing and thank goodness I was introduced to Cathi. We both wanted this book to be a social comment on the times with serious historical content, and we made the many marvellous contributors feel at ease to speak freely and candidly”.
ORDER THE BOOK HERE
ORDER THE DELUXE BOXSET HERE, HERE OR HERE
ORDER THE DELUXE SLIPCASE HERE
GET UPDATES ON OUR FACEBOOK PAGE HERE
PRESS ENQUIRIES: debra@greatnorthernpr.co.uk
EVENT ENQUIRIES: David.Stock@musicsales.co.uk
Cathi and Jordan pic by Robert Shiret
Book cover by Graham Humphreys
– Julie Burchill, The New Statesman
"I WAS ENTIRELY ABSORBED. POP-CULTURAL HISTORIANS HAVE BEEN COMBING THE DEBRIS OF PUNK FOR DECADES, BUT JORDAN AND HER RESOURCEFUL AMANEUSIS CATHI UNSWORTH HAVE BROUGHT ALL KINDS OF UNEXPECTED GEMS TO LIGHT."
– DJ Taylor, author of Orwell: The Life
"JORDAN'S EXTRAORDINARY GOSPEL IS HERE TO SET YOU STRAIGHT"
– Ian Fortnum, Classic Rock 9/10
"THE LAST GREAT PUNK STORY BEAUTIFULLY TOLD"
– John Robb, Louder Than War
"THE MOST INSIGHTFUL PUNK BOOK SINCE ENGLAND'S DREAMING. IMPECCABLE STYLE BUT SUBSTANCE TOO"
– Jim Wirth, Uncut 8/10
“Jordan created punk rock. She was selling it on the front line” – Adam Ant
“Jordan was the original Sex Pistol” – Derek Jarman
With her white beehive and Mondrian make up, Jordan’s look helped shape a revolution and has continued to be an iconic part of pop culture ever since. In Defying Gravity, the authors talk to key faces of the punk scene including Vivienne Westwood, Paul Cook, Marco Pirroni, Holly Johnson and Michael Collins – Jordan’s partner behind the SEX counter – to reveal the true story of a life at the eye of punk’s storm. How did a ballet mad girl from sleepy Sussex make her way – via the gay clubs of Brighton and London – to 430 King’s Road and the eye of punk’s storm? Jordan finally reveals her outrageous life story as she shares her adventures with McLaren and Westwood, The Sex Pistols, Adam and The Ants, Derek Jarman and Andy Warhol. Complete with specially commissioned cover art by Graham Humphreys, Defying Gravity also features a wealth of previously unseen images from Simon Barker, Sheila Rock and Harri Peccinotti .
Jordan explains. “I had been asked a few times if I would embark on writing my memoir but either felt it self indulgent or simply not the right time, and it took a series of events, unexpected meetings and inspired people to make me want to do it. I needed encouragement to put my thoughts into writing and thank goodness I was introduced to Cathi. We both wanted this book to be a social comment on the times with serious historical content, and we made the many marvellous contributors feel at ease to speak freely and candidly”.
ORDER THE BOOK HERE
ORDER THE DELUXE BOXSET HERE, HERE OR HERE
ORDER THE DELUXE SLIPCASE HERE
GET UPDATES ON OUR FACEBOOK PAGE HERE
PRESS ENQUIRIES: debra@greatnorthernpr.co.uk
EVENT ENQUIRIES: David.Stock@musicsales.co.uk
Cathi and Jordan pic by Robert Shiret
Book cover by Graham Humphreys
CATHI "TOO GOOD NOT TO BE CRAZY FAMOUS"
Cathi joins a list of 12 noir writers from around the globe who are considered by Criminal Element's GREG LEVIN: "Too good not to be crazy famous." You can read the whole story – and pick up some more top tips for your noir reading pleasure HERE
WATCH OUR TED TALK WITH DAVID PEACE, MARTYN WAITES, NICK TRIPLOW AND CATHI HERE
Cathi joined David Peace, Martyn Waites and Ted Lewis' biographer Nick Triplow to pay tribute to the life and influence of Ted Lewis in this Crowdcast event from No Exit Press and Crime Time UK. You can see it HERE
CATHI SAYS:
I LOVE LIBRARIES!
WESTMINSTER LIBRARIES – my local group of libraries in Ladbroke Grove, Paddington and West End Central – asked me to make a short video explaining how libraries have helped inspire and inform me my whole life. You can watch the video HERE via Facebook and HERE via Twitter. KNOWLEDGE IS POWER!
A TRIBUTE TO TIM SMITH
A mighty oak crashed down in the magic musical kingdom of my life with the passing of Tim Smith. Some years ago 3AM let me write about Cardiacs when The Leader of the Starry Skies album came out. My thanks to Andrew Stevens for restoring the feature with new links to some of Tim's most incredible songs that mean the most to me. I would also just like to send love and deepest sympathy to the entire Cardiacs family: Jim, Billiam Dee, Kavus, Sarah, Dominic, Tim Quy, Alan James, Bic Haynes and Jo Spratley who helped me so much with this feature. Everything I want to say is written HERE
NEW AUDIO: CATHI ON THE ORIGINS OF GOTH AT THE BUREAU
OF LOST CULTURE
WITH STEPHEN COATES
Cathi joined musician and cultural curator STEPHEN COATES at his Bureau of Lost Culture show on Soho Radio to talk about the origins of Gothic music and spin some sounds from The Banshees, The Cramps, The Sisters, Shock-Headed Peters, The Cult and The Bunnymen… TUNE INTO THE PODCAST HERE
THE SINGER MAKES THE INDEPENDENT'S TOP 25 CRIME NOVELS TO READ DURING LOCKDOWN
The Independent's Sarah Hughes has put The Singer in her 25 lesser-known crime titles to read during Lockdown, in a fantastic list that begins with Alexander Baron's King Dido. Get the full SP HERE
NEW WRITING: CATHI'S LOVE LETTER TO TED LEWIS AT CRIMESQUAD
CRIMESQUAD.COM have just published Cathi's profile of Ted Lewis, as two of his classic novels PLENDER and GBH are released, alongside his peerless biography by NICK TRIPLOW. Read the feature HERE
You can order all these books HERE
You can order all these books HERE
NEW WRITING: CATHI'S TOP 3O BRIT GRIT FILMS ON DVDCLASSIK
Cathi has expanded her writing on British Noir Cinema from the 1940s-70s with a third installment published by DVDClassik website in English and French. This latest peice looks at 10 pivitol titles from 1966-71 as Britain leaves post-War black and white and gets planning for a Technicolor, Brutalist future. Read on HERE
Part two 1959-64 HERE
Part one 1947-59 HERE
Part two 1959-64 HERE
Part one 1947-59 HERE
NEW AUDIO: CATHI IN HORSE HOSPITAL UNDER THREAT – RESONANCE FM DOCUMENTARY
One devastating effect of the lockdown was the closure of THE HORSE HOSPITAL at a time when London's premier punk arts venue's future was hanging in the balance. Just prior to the doors closing, Cathi was interviewed by Resonance FM's JONATHAN MUNRO for this documentary, featuring Horse founders Roger K Burton and Guy Sangster Adams, as well as amazing artist Cathy Ward, esteemed writer/Godzilla lecturer Ken Hollings and a host of other regular faces, which you can now listen to HERE
WEIRDO NAMED IN
THE TIMES TOP TEN
CRIME NOVELS OF
THE PAST DECADE!
Many thanks to MARK SANDERSON for elevating Weirdo to the upper echelons of the past decade's crime novels in this Saturday's Times. For those not able to get behind the paywall, his review reads:
Cathi Unsworth is a brilliant writer who would be far better known were it not for her refusal to repeat herself. Her fourth and best novel is set in a seaside town not unlike her native Great Yarmouth. Swinging between the Eighties and the Noughties, it is essentially a game of cat-and-mouse between a private eye and a retired cop responsible for more than one miscarriage of justie. Teenage angst, police corruption and witchcraft combine in a full-blooded neo- noir.
The other writers in the Top Ten are Peter Temple (Truth), Ruth Rendell (The Vault), Ruth Dudley Edwards (Killing The Emperors), Karin Slaughter (Cop Town), Ian Rankin (Even Dogs In The Wild), Fred Vargas (A Climate of Fear), Denise Mina (The Long Drop), George Pelecanos (The Man Who Came Down) and Jo Nesbo (Knife) – so the little oddball is in good company!
Cathi Unsworth is a brilliant writer who would be far better known were it not for her refusal to repeat herself. Her fourth and best novel is set in a seaside town not unlike her native Great Yarmouth. Swinging between the Eighties and the Noughties, it is essentially a game of cat-and-mouse between a private eye and a retired cop responsible for more than one miscarriage of justie. Teenage angst, police corruption and witchcraft combine in a full-blooded neo- noir.
The other writers in the Top Ten are Peter Temple (Truth), Ruth Rendell (The Vault), Ruth Dudley Edwards (Killing The Emperors), Karin Slaughter (Cop Town), Ian Rankin (Even Dogs In The Wild), Fred Vargas (A Climate of Fear), Denise Mina (The Long Drop), George Pelecanos (The Man Who Came Down) and Jo Nesbo (Knife) – so the little oddball is in good company!
NEW AUDIO:
A LOVE LETTER TO NELSON ALGREN
CATHI ON ANN SCANLON'S BOOGALOO RADIO SHOW
Never play cards with any man named Doc
Never eat at any place called Mom's
And never, ever, sleep with anyone whose troubles are worse than your own…
Cathi joins Ann Scanlon on her Boogaloo Radio show to send A Love Letter to… her favourite writer Nelson Algren. Best known for The Man With The Golden Arm, A Walk On The Wild Side and his short story collection The Neon Wilderness, Algren was a Chicago street poet who mixed freely with hustlers, addicts, pimps and whores and who could write about hell in such a way that he actually touched heaven. With readings from his work and music from The Flaming Stars, Barry Adamson, Jimmy Smith, Billie Holiday, Andre Williams, Bessie Smith, Camille O'Sullivan, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, Oscar Brown Jr and Richmond Fontaine. Tune in HERE
Nelson pic by ART SHAY
Never eat at any place called Mom's
And never, ever, sleep with anyone whose troubles are worse than your own…
Cathi joins Ann Scanlon on her Boogaloo Radio show to send A Love Letter to… her favourite writer Nelson Algren. Best known for The Man With The Golden Arm, A Walk On The Wild Side and his short story collection The Neon Wilderness, Algren was a Chicago street poet who mixed freely with hustlers, addicts, pimps and whores and who could write about hell in such a way that he actually touched heaven. With readings from his work and music from The Flaming Stars, Barry Adamson, Jimmy Smith, Billie Holiday, Andre Williams, Bessie Smith, Camille O'Sullivan, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, Oscar Brown Jr and Richmond Fontaine. Tune in HERE
Nelson pic by ART SHAY
NEW PUBLICATION: CATHI IN
INVISIBLE BLOOD
Cathi joins 17 stars of noir, including Christopher Fowler, Denise Mina, Ken Bruen and John Harvey, for this new anthology edited by Maxim Jakubowski. Cathi's story Black Dog is based on a true crime connected to the Bella in the Wych Elm mystery – the Charles Walton witchcraft murder of 1945, which she has written about extensively in Fortean Times.
To get a copy of the book, go HERE
To get a copy of the book, go HERE
READ JORDAN IN YOU MAGAZINE HERE
