Dayglo!: The Poly Styrene Story

Poly Styrene wasn't just a singer-songwriter; she was an artist, a free-thinker, a post-modern style pioneer, and a lifelong spiritual seeker – a true icon of punk. Yet, this rebellious queen with the infectious grin was also a unique pop artist, possessing a wickedly perceptive gift for satirising the world around her, her brightly coloured and playful aesthetic standing in stark contrast to the monochrome nihilism often associated with punk.

Now, for the first time, the vibrant and inspiring, often moving, jigsaw puzzle of Poly Styrene's life has been lovingly assembled by her daughter, singer-songwriter Celeste Bell, and writer/artist Zoe Howe. From her experiences growing up mixed-race in 1960s Brixton to her pivotal role at the forefront of the burgeoning punk scene with X-Ray Spex in the 1970s, the book honestly and openly explores Poly's exceptional journey. It follows her exploration of faith with the Hare Krishna movement, the challenges of balancing single motherhood with a solo music career, and her often debilitating struggles with mental health, right up to her untimely passing in 2011.

Based on a wealth of interviews with those who knew and loved Poly, both personally and through her music, this oral history offers powerful testimonies from a diverse range of voices, including Vivienne Westwood, Don Letts, Glen Matlock, Jonathan Ross, Neneh Cherry, The Slits' Tessa Pollitt, Thurston Moore, Jon Savage, and many others.

Heavily illustrated throughout with personal photographs, evocative flyers from the punk scene, and Poly's own distinctive hand-drawn artwork and lyrics for X-Ray Spex and her subsequent solo work, the book beautifully captures her enduring creative and personal legacy. Poly Styrene: I Am a Cliché serves as a powerful reminder that if anyone possessed the ability to infuse our world with dayglo vibrancy, it was indeed her. This is a vital and moving tribute to a truly original and unforgettable artist.