In October, I was lucky enough to attend Stratford Literary Festival and hear Clive Myrie talk about his new memoir. This was a book that was already on my radar as I have a lot of respect for Clive Myrie as a journalist and television presenter (he was definitely the correct choice for Mastermind). He was also a very nice man when I was lucky enough to meet him after his talk; just a lovely gentleman.
This memoir is an absolute joy to read, and I think it proves that Clive Myrie presents his real self in his life and work. I cannot recall all the stories that appear in a memoir; I mean, then you would not need to read it. However, for me, I enjoyed this because it is a memoir rather than a celebrity autobiography. The majority of the stories are sparked by something in Clive’s childhood or work life, and then it interweaves with events from history or a commentary of events on the world stage (and Clive Myrie has certainly been present at some of them).
This is about the experience of growing up in Bolton as a child of a couple who were from the Windrush generation. It explores the impact of this start in life, for him as a young boy, his parents as they start again in Britain, and his older siblings as they come to join the family in Britain. But it also takes us further, as it looks at the events that Clive Myrie has reported on, the parts of the world he has lived in, and how these experiences have shaped him and his view of the world. There is warmth and humour amongst these pages – but also there is commentary on some of the injustices in the world that we still have based on someone’s race; something you hope that, in the modern world, is no longer an issue, but – as we all know – sadly, it is. There were moments when I found this read incredibly moving; you go through so many emotions as you read this book and it is definitely something that any reader will finding thought-provoking.
I could not put this book down, as it is so beautifully written and is full of so many fascinating stories. This is a book for anyone who is a fan of memoir – not just those who may be a fan of Clive Myrie, but for those who have an interest in social history, political history and the general world that we live in.