The second instalment of his famed unreliable memoirs, Falling Towards England sees Clive James set sail for London - a long way from the acclaimed author, poet and broadcaster he would one day become . . .

'A comic triumph' - Ian Hamilton, London Review of Books

Waving goodbye to Sydney, Clive James arrives in 1960s England with nothing much besides the clothes on his back, in search of fame and fortune. Idealistic and uncompromising, if short on cash, he plans to get a low-paying menial job by day and compose poetical masterpieces by night. London is beginning to swing, but our hero is flat broke. The menial job proves elusive, with steady employment as hard to find as a room of his own.

In a succession of more or less unsatisfactory digs, which include a bedsit, a barge, and a large paper bag, he attempts to stay warm, knuckle down, practise the Twist, plan those poetical masterpieces and improve his unsatisfactory wardrobe. Reflecting on these years, Clive is at his erudite and hilarious best.

Falling Towards England is the second book of memoir from Clive James. Continue his story with May Week Was In June.

About the Author
Clive James was the author of more than forty books. As well as essays, he published collections of literary and television criticism, travel writing, verse and novels, plus five volumes of autobiography, Unreliable Memoirs, Falling Towards England, May Week Was In June, North Face of Soho and The Blaze of Obscurity. As a television performer he appeared regularly for both the BBC and ITV, most notably as writer and presenter of the Postcard series of travel documentaries. He published several poetry collections, including the Sunday Times bestseller Sentenced to Life, and a translation of Dante's The Divine Comedy, which was also a Sunday Times bestseller. In 1992 he was made a Member of the Order of Australia and in 2003 he was awarded the Philip Hodgins memorial medal for literature. He held honorary doctorates from Sydney University and the University of East Anglia. In 2012 he was appointed CBE and in 2013, an Officer of the Order of Australia. He died in 2019.

Reviews
A comic triumph, full of terrific jokes and brilliantly sustained setpieces. -- Ian Hamilton * London Review of Books *
James' wickedly funny jokes and jibes make you laugh out loud and feel warm to the man. No wonder women wanted to feed him greens, and men lend him money. * The Times *



Book Information
ISBN 9780330294379
Author Clive James
Format Paperback
Page Count 176
Imprint Picador
Publisher Pan Macmillan
Weight(grams) 126g
Dimensions(mm) 196mm * 130mm * 12mm