Shirley Collins‘ personal memoir All In The Downs: Reflections on Life, Landscape and Song which was published by Strange Attractor last year has won the Penderyn Music Book Prize.
Now in its fifth year, The Penderyn Music Book Prize is organised by Richard Thomas who is also the founder of the Laugharne Weekend where the award ceremony took place earlier this month on 7th April. It is the only UK-based book prize specifically for music titles including history, theory, biography, autobiography. The winner receives a £1000 cheque.
The panel of judges included Chris Difford (singer, musician, songwriter, record producer and founder of pop group Squeeze), Laura Snapes (deputy music editor of the Guardian), Geoff Travis (founder of Rough Trade Records) and Jude Rogers (journalist, lecturer and Guardian music critic) who described the book as “a joyous, rolling, honest account of a life of an ordinary woman who just happens to be one of folk’s greatest pioneers”.
In these pages Shirley Collins completes her comeback, reclaiming her rightful place in the English folk revival from those who placed obstacles in her way.
—New Statesman
Watch the film below which features a short ceremony and an extract of an interview featuring Shirley and writer John Williams.
For more information about the Penderyn Music Book Prize, visit www.penderynprize.com.
More from Folk Radio UK on Shirley Collins:
- Read our review of Shirley Collins: The Sweet Primeroses. The Deluxe CD reissue is part of the Topic Treasures Series celebrating 80 years of independent music production. Read our review here.
- Earlier this year, Shirley Collins performed at London’s Roundhouse, fifty years on since she last performed there alongside her late sister Dolly. Read our live review of the evening here.