Clay: A Human History

(Paperback)

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'An engrossing history' Katherine May

'Clay is a joy to read . . . it made me want to learn to be a potter all over again' Florian Gadsby

'Mesmerising . . . this wonderful book opens up a world of wonder' Jennifer Higgie

Clay is baked into our culture: we have been taking handfuls of earth and forming them into their own image since our history began. In Clay: A Human History, Jennifer Lucy Allan navigates the history of humankind and our relationship to making and creativity through our relationship with this enigmatic, ancient material. Born out of a desire to know and understand the spiritual and practical applications of clay in both its micro and macro histories, Clay: A Human History is a hybrid of archaeology, history and lived experience as an amateur potter.

'I have loved learning from every chapter in this beautiful and affecting book' Vashti Bunyan

'Allan's writing goes beyond the physical, revealing not only how we shape and adapt clay, but the profound meaning at the heart of it' Caught by the River

'It is this freshness of perspective, a new slant on a familiar medium, that makes Clay so compelling' Crafts Magazine

Reviews

I read this book and immediately went out to buy some clay. Fascinating and powerful * Brian Eno *
Clay is a joy to read... it made me want to learn to be a potter all over again * Florian Gadsby *
An engrossing history of the deep connection between humans and clay, electrified by a ceramicist's passion * Katherine May, author of Enchantment *
I thought I knew a lot about pottery, but I didn't, not as much as I do now. From the earliest earthenware to the history of porcelain, along with the author's own progress working with different clays and glazes, I have loved learning from every chapter in this beautiful and affecting book * Vashti Bunyan *
Jennifer Lucy Allan - an amateur potter herself - has written a mesmerising history of the practical, spiritual and artistic uses of clay, a deceptively simple material that has, in many ways, helped shape human history. Ranging across time and place, this wonderful book opens up a world of wonder. I learned so much from it - and couldn't put it down * Jennifer Higgie, author of The Mirror and the Palette *
Alchemical, magical, alive: Clay inspires me to make things; a deeply engaging work about artists and their process, told through the stories of true outsiders and eccentrics, including Allan herself, whose vibrant and visceral musical language made me completely obsessed with a subject I knew nothing about * Heather Leigh *
Allan's writing goes beyond the physical, revealing not only how we shape and adapt clay, but the profound meaning at the heart of it . . . will inspire you to look upon your pots with new insight * Caught by the River *
A captivating exploration of humanity's relationship with the material . . . this book is a love letter to clay * Ceramic Review *
An absorbing work from such an original, enthusiastic writer * Saga Magazine *
It is this freshness of perspective, a new slant on a familiar medium, that makes Clay so compelling * Crafts Magazine *

Author Bio

Jennifer Lucy Allan is an author, journalist and broadcaster with a PhD in foghorns. Her first book, The Foghorn's Lament, was published in May 2021. She is a presenter on BBC Radio 3's long running music show, Late Junction, and presented Life, Death and the Foghorn, and Oh Yoko! for BBC Radio 4. As a journalist she has written on underground and experimental music for over 15 years, and also co-ran the record labels Arc Light Editions and Good Energy.