Neverland: The pleasures and perils of fandom

(Hardback, Main)

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Why do famous musicians mean so much to us How does the pop culture industry both mirror and magnify the worst aspects of human nature Why is it so hard to accept that the people we love, famous or not, can be capable of doing terrible things

As conversations about abuse perpetrated by public figures become louder and from her very personal perspective as a Michael Jackson obsessive, Kisuule examines the nuances of 'fandom': of celebrities as symbols and fantasies, of child stars and power imbalances. Neverland invites us to question the dangers of idolising and villainising individuals and asks us to be unafraid of scrutinising the ugly and contradictory aspects of these issues. It also holds space for the joy we all get from music and explores ways we can preserve this.

With verve and incisiveness, Kisuule explores her own experience of being a mega fan and the evergreen question of whether we can, or should, separate the art from the artist. With references to R Kelly, Michael Jackson, Britney Spears and other famous figures, this is both a love letter to the musicians we adore and an unflinching look at the costs of hero worship.

Reviews

'Praise for Vanessa Kisuule: 'Her words make the world exciting again' - HOLLIE MCNISH

'Vanessa Kisuule is an explosion wrapped in ribbon' - JOELLE TAYLOR

'[Kisuule] covers an array of unusual topics, from octopuses to aunties, cryonics to nights out. It's a great showcase of her style and curiosity as a writer' - Wee Review

'Her clever, complex and cutting style makes her a favourite of the UK scene' - Poetry Society

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Author Bio

Vanessa Kisuule is a writer and performer based in Bristol. She has been featured on BBC iPlayer, Radio 1 and Radio 4's Woman's Hour, and has written for Guardian, NME and Lonely Planet. Burning Eye Books publish her poetry. Kisuule is the co-tutor for Southbank New Poets Collective 2021-22 and was Bristol City Poet 2018-20. Her poem on the historic toppling of Edward Colston's statue 'Hollow' gained over 600,000 views on Twitter in three days.

vanessakisuule.com | @Vanessa_Kisuule