Bessie Smith
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Bessie Smith: singer, icon, pioneer. Scotland's National Poet Jackie Kay brings to life the tempestuous story of the greatest blues singer who ever lived.
Bessie Smith was born in Tennessee in 1894. Orphaned by the age of nine, she sang on street corners before becoming a big name in travelling shows. In 1923 she made her first recording for a new start-up called Columbia Records. It sold 780,000 copies and made her a star.
Smith's life was notoriously difficult: she drank pints of 'bathtub gin', got into violent fist fights, spent huge sums of money and had passionate love affairs with men and women. She once single-handedly fought off a cohort of the Ku Klux Klan.
As a young black girl growing up in Glasgow, Jackie Kay found in Bessie someone with whom she could identify and who she could idolise. In this remarkable book Kay mixes biography, fiction, poetry and prose to create an enthralling account of an extraordinary life.
Important Notice: Temporary Suspension of U.S. Shipping
We are currently updating our shipping processes to comply with new U.S. import regulations. As a result, we are temporarily pausing all orders to the United States.
Subscriptions: If you have taken out a subscription, we currently anticipate that you will receive your upcoming titles as usual. If this changes, we will contact you directly via email.
We apologise for any inconvenience and thank you for your understanding. Please check back here for updates on when U.S. shipping will resume.
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Orders over £75* will qualify for FREE standard shipping within the UK.
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Order value |
Under £25 |
£25 - £75 |
Over £75 |
Timescale |
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UK Standard |
£ 3.50 |
£ 5.00 |
FREE |
up to 7 Business Days |
Please allow 7 working days from the time you place your order to contact us about undelivered orders.
*does not include custom prints or custom clothing.
Local pick up
Local pick up is free and allows you to buy online and collect your items from our shop in St. Pancras (London) or from Reception in Boston Spa.
London
Orders placed before 3pm will be ready to collect from noon the following day (including weekends). Please ensure you check our opening times before coming to collect.
Boston Spa
Orders placed before 3pm will be ready to collect between 2 - 4 working days, though this is usually quicker.
Rest of the World orders
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Order value |
Under £25 |
£25 - £50 |
£50 - £100 |
Over £100 |
Timescale |
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Airmail |
£ 20 |
£ 30 |
£ 40 |
£ 50 |
Usually 2 - 4 weeks |
EU and Europe orders
Due to the new EU Regulation 2023/988 (GPSR), we are temporarily pausing shipments to Europe, including the Republic of Ireland. We understand this may be disappointing, and we are working to resume our services as soon as possible. Please check this page for updates.
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