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, published on 25th April by Omnibus Press, Cathi talks 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 We both wanted this book to be a social comment on the times with serious historical content, and we made the many marvellous contributors feel at ease to speak freely and candidly”.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 OR 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, published on 25th April by Omnibus Press, Cathi talks 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 OR 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
Site last updated: 12/2/2020
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
SOHEMIAN NOIR NIGHT WITH MAX DECHARNE AND BARRY FORSHAW,
THURS 20 FEBRUARY 7PM
THE WHEATSHEAF W1
THURSDAY 20 FEBRUARY AT 7PM
UPSTAIRS AT THE WHEATSHEAF, 25 RATHBONE PLACE,
LONDON W1T 1JB
£7 ON THE DOOR
The Sohemian Society is open for down and dirty 2020 business with a double-header NOIR NIGHT on 20 February at The Wheatsheaf. Hepcat-in-chief Max Décharné will be fronting an illustrated trawl through some highlights and lowlights of pulp crime novels from the classic era of hot dames, two-bit porch-climbers and hep-cat killers. While Cathi will be talking to the Sinatra to Max's Elvis, Barry Forshaw, about his new magnum opus, Crime Fiction: A Reader's Guide. A host of anecdotes (sometimes scurrilous) are guaranteed about the talents he has met and interviewed over the years – including Hitchcock, Highsmith and Ginger Rogers!
To reserve seat(s), email sohemian@yahoo.co.uk
UPSTAIRS AT THE WHEATSHEAF, 25 RATHBONE PLACE,
LONDON W1T 1JB
£7 ON THE DOOR
The Sohemian Society is open for down and dirty 2020 business with a double-header NOIR NIGHT on 20 February at The Wheatsheaf. Hepcat-in-chief Max Décharné will be fronting an illustrated trawl through some highlights and lowlights of pulp crime novels from the classic era of hot dames, two-bit porch-climbers and hep-cat killers. While Cathi will be talking to the Sinatra to Max's Elvis, Barry Forshaw, about his new magnum opus, Crime Fiction: A Reader's Guide. A host of anecdotes (sometimes scurrilous) are guaranteed about the talents he has met and interviewed over the years – including Hitchcock, Highsmith and Ginger Rogers!
To reserve seat(s), email sohemian@yahoo.co.uk
FORTHCOMING EVENTS
NEW AUDIO: THE LAST DAYS OF DEREK RAYMOND
On 10 July, Cathi, together with JOHN WILLIAMS, GEOFF COX and BRIAN O'NEILL hosted a tribute evening to the late, great DEREK RAYMOND to honour the marking of 25 years since he took his leave. The event, which took place at the Fiztrovia HQ of the SOHEMIAN SOCIETY was recorded by TRAVIS ELBOROUGH and included readings from correspondence that has never been shared before as well as John's moving account of the last days he shared with his friend, fellow writer and mentor. You can listen in to it HERE
READ JORDAN IN YOU MAGAZINE HERE
NEW! JORDAN AND CATHI ON LONDON LIVE
Cathi and Jordan were interviewed by London Live about Defying Gravity, The King's Road and Punk's past and future. Tune in to the full interview HERE
