Atypical Girl
Punk rock, Liverpool, and trying to be normal
Published on 5. March 2026
304 pages
978-1-78885-744-4 (ISBN)
Description
It's 1977, and punk rock has just hit Liverpool. The legendary Eric's club is home to the city's rebels, posers and misfits. It's a place of attitude, adventure and new possibilities, and it changes lives. Some become pop stars; Penny Kiley becomes a music journalist.
The story traces Penny's relationship with the music scene from the turbulent political 1980s into the changing culture of the 21st century. Throughout these years, she never stops being a misfit, and the question remains: how do you navigate normal life when punk is dead and you don't know you're autistic?
Atypical Girl begins as a coming-of-age story and ends as a midlife reinvention. What unites them is a search for identity and the role that music plays in all our lives.
The story traces Penny's relationship with the music scene from the turbulent political 1980s into the changing culture of the 21st century. Throughout these years, she never stops being a misfit, and the question remains: how do you navigate normal life when punk is dead and you don't know you're autistic?
Atypical Girl begins as a coming-of-age story and ends as a midlife reinvention. What unites them is a search for identity and the role that music plays in all our lives.
Reviews / Votes
'Fabulous . . . it really captures a moment that resonates strongly with me' -- Andy McCluskey, Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark 'Penny Kiley's adventures in punk and post punk and beyond create a love letter to the narrative that has affected all our lives' -- John Robb 'Penny was a part of the furniture at Eric's, quietly observing, reporting and reviewing. If anyone can paint a true picture of those glorious days she can' -- Will Sergeant, Echo & The Bunnymen '99% of memoirs are scattered with lies. File Atypical Girl in the remaining 1%' -- Bill Drummond, Co-Founder of the KLF, Writer and Musician 'I love this book. I enjoyed every word, found many things that related directly to me and found it spoke to exactly my views on what punk means. It's also an incredible document of Liverpool' -- Rachel Talalay, Director of Tank Girl and Doctor Who 'A refreshingly feminine take on punk and the tribulations of growing up during an era that was psychologically and culturally disruptive . . . candour and a great deal of wit... loaded with charm' * Louder Than War *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Edinburgh
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Birlinn General
Illustrations
b/w throughout
File size
8,06 MB
ISBN-13
978-1-78885-744-4 (9781788857444)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
Born in Kent, Penny Kiley later studied at Liverpool University, where she became immersed in the vibrant late-'70s music and cultural scene. A writer for Melody Maker, Smash Hits and the Liverpool Echo, she enjoyed a successful career at the heart of music journalism. Today, she is based in Oxfordshire, working as a digital content editor, often for non-profits.
