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Details:
Condition: Brand New
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9781782111252
Publisher: Canongate Books
Age Range: Adult
Overview:
The Lonely City: Adventures in the Art of Being Alone by Olivia Laing is a genre-defying blend of memoir, biography and art criticism exploring urban isolation through the lives of iconic 20th-century artists. Written after Laing's own move to New York City left her grappling with profound loneliness, the book weaves personal reflection with cultural analysis of figures such as Edward Hopper, Andy Warhol and David Wojnarowicz. Shortlisted for the Gordon Burn Prize and named Book of the Year by the Observer, Guardian and Telegraph, it's a rich read for anyone drawn to art, psychology and modern life.
About the Book:
When Olivia Laing moved to New York City in her mid-thirties, she found herself unexpectedly alone, and this experience sparked The Lonely City. Rather than treating loneliness as a personal failing, Laing turns her attention outward, examining how a succession of artists channelled isolation into extraordinary creative work. Edward Hopper's quietly haunting cityscapes, Andy Warhol's obsession with surface and repetition, and David Wojnarowicz's raw, activist art become lenses through which Laing explores disconnection in a crowded city. The book moves fluidly between biography, art history and memoir, never settling into a single register, which is part of what makes it so distinctive. Laing writes with a critic's precision and a memoirist's vulnerability, considering technology, sexuality, illness and the changing shape of urban life along the way. Widely praised on publication, the book was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award in Criticism and named a book of the year by numerous critics, becoming a touchstone for readers interested in art and mental health.
Key Benefits:
- A genre-blending work of memoir, biography and art criticism from an acclaimed cultural critic.
- Explores the work of major 20th-century artists including Edward Hopper, Andy Warhol and David Wojnarowicz.
- Shortlisted for the Gordon Burn Prize and named Book of the Year by multiple major publications.
- Offers a thoughtful, honest lens on loneliness, art and modern urban life.
- Ideal for readers of literary non-fiction, art history and psychology.
- Brand new paperback, perfect for reading, gifting or book clubs.
About the Author:
Olivia Laing is a widely acclaimed British writer and critic whose work regularly appears in the Guardian, Observer, New Statesman, Frieze and New York Times. She is the author of several genre-crossing books including To the River, The Trip to Echo Spring and the novel Crudo. Laing has held fellowships at Yaddo and MacDowell and was the 2014 Eccles Writer in Residence at the British Library. Known for blending memoir, biography and cultural criticism, she has established herself as one of the most distinctive and respected non-fiction voices writing today.
Why You'll Love This Book:
Lyrical, intelligent and quietly moving, The Lonely City turns solitary experience into shared insight. It's a beautifully written exploration of art and connection that rewards readers again and again.
Please Note: Cover design may vary slightly from the image shown; this listing is for the UK paperback edition with ISBN 9781782111252.
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