John Cooper Clarke: I Wanna Be Yours

This memoir is as wry, funny, moving, and vivid as its inimitable subject himself. It's a joy for both lifelong fans and for a whole new generation. Sir Paul McCartney calls him 'One of Britain's outstanding poets', while the Observer finds it 'Riveting', and the New Statesman describes it as 'An exuberant account of a remarkable life'.

John Cooper Clarke is a phenomenon: Poet Laureate of Punk, rock star, fashion icon, TV and radio presenter, and a social and cultural commentator. At 5 feet 11 inches (32in chest, 27in waist), in his trademark dark suit, dark glasses, with dark messed-up hair and a mouth full of gold teeth, he is instantly recognisable. As a writer, his voice is equally unmistakable and his unique brand of slightly dark humour is never far from the surface.

I Wanna Be Yours covers an extraordinary life, filled with remarkable personalities: from Nico to Chuck Berry, from Bernard Manning to Linton Kwesi Johnson, Elvis Costello to Gregory Corso, Gil Scott-Heron, Mark E. Smith and Joe Strummer, and on to more recent fans and collaborators like Alex Turner, Plan B, and Guy Garvey. Interspersed with stories of his rock and roll and performing career, John also reveals his astonishing encyclopaedic take on popular culture through the ages: from Baudelaire and Edgar Allan Poe to Pop Art, pop music, the movies, fashion, football, and showbusiness — and much, much more, plus a few laughs along the way. Alex Turner describes it as 'Nothing short of dazzling'.