Professionals & Academics
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The Life Inside: A Memoir of Prison, Family and Philosophy
'Tense and intimate… an education.' Geoff Dyer
'Written with sensitivity and humanity... a remarkable insight into prison life.' Amanda Brown
'Authentic, fascinating and deeply moving.' Terry Waite
'Expands both heart and mind.' Ciaran Thapar
__________
Can someone in prison be more free than someone outside? Would we ever be good if we never felt shame? What makes a person worthy of forgiveness?
Andy West teaches philosophy in prisons. Every day he has conversations with people inside about their lives, discusses their ideas and feelings, and listens as they explore new ways to think about their situation.
When Andy goes behind bars, he also confronts his inherited trauma: his father, uncle and brother all spent time in prison. While Andy has built a different life for himself, he still fears that their fate will also be his. As he discusses pressing questions of truth, identity and hope with his students, he searches for his own form of freedom too.
Moving, sympathetic, wise and frequently funny, The Life Inside is an elegantly written and unforgettable book. Through a blend of memoir, storytelling and gentle philosophical questioning, it offers a new insight into our stretched justice system, our failing prisons and the complex lives being lived inside.
__________
'Stives with humour and compassion to understand the phenomenon of prison' Sydney Review of Books
'A fascinating and enlightening journey... A legitimate page-turner' 3AM
'Written with sensitivity and humanity... a remarkable insight into prison life.' Amanda Brown
'Authentic, fascinating and deeply moving.' Terry Waite
'Expands both heart and mind.' Ciaran Thapar
__________
Can someone in prison be more free than someone outside? Would we ever be good if we never felt shame? What makes a person worthy of forgiveness?
Andy West teaches philosophy in prisons. Every day he has conversations with people inside about their lives, discusses their ideas and feelings, and listens as they explore new ways to think about their situation.
When Andy goes behind bars, he also confronts his inherited trauma: his father, uncle and brother all spent time in prison. While Andy has built a different life for himself, he still fears that their fate will also be his. As he discusses pressing questions of truth, identity and hope with his students, he searches for his own form of freedom too.
Moving, sympathetic, wise and frequently funny, The Life Inside is an elegantly written and unforgettable book. Through a blend of memoir, storytelling and gentle philosophical questioning, it offers a new insight into our stretched justice system, our failing prisons and the complex lives being lived inside.
__________
'Stives with humour and compassion to understand the phenomenon of prison' Sydney Review of Books
'A fascinating and enlightening journey... A legitimate page-turner' 3AM
Readers Top Reviews
Elaine Harris
Beautifully written.It opens up aspects of lives that may never have touched you before.
Scooby Doo!
A very intimate memoir so beautifully written. Highly recommend reading this.
Pud
Andy West has written a book that is both thought-provoking and heartwarming. As someone who hails from a family that is predominately on the other side of the equation (i.e. they're coppers) this is a book that offers a glimpse into prison life but also helps to remind us that we are incredibly mistaken to write people off.
Puja Teli
I absolutely love the rawness of this writing. The storytelling is impeccable, and the nature of reality around the restrictions in the prison service hit you instantly. It also makes you question how you look at criminal justice in general in the UK. A must read for anyone who loves philosophy of course, but there are many life lessons to take on fundamental concepts that we all go through like shame, forgiveness and the concept of freedom.
