The Story of The Slits: Zoë Howe in conversation with Helen McCookerybook

Join Zoë Howe for a journey through her updated biography that rightfully situates The Slits in the annals of popular music history. Wild, defiant and creative, The Slits were ahead of their time. Despite their innovative fusion of genres – from dub reggae to punk, funk to free jazz – they were often dismissed as unserious and ‘unable to play’. However, their influential album Cut would challenge perceptions of women in music, its witty lyrics and playful musicality inspiring generations of women to pick up instruments and resist the status quo. Author Zoë Howe tells the punk-era story of this remarkable band through interviews with The Slits themselves and their friends and collaborators, including Don Letts, Dennis Bovell, the Raincoats, Budgie, PiL guitarist Keith Levene, the Pop Group’s Gareth Sager and others. The book’s original publication in 2009, marking 30 years of Cut, was noted for catalysing a serious reconsideration of The Slits, as well as a reunion with Viv Albertine shortly before Ari Up’s death. This warm, thorough document of the Slits phenomenon celebrates the legacy, spirit and creativity of this seminal band. An essential addition to the Omnibus Remastered series, this expanded and updated edition features new interview material and a foreword by punk singer-songwriter and academic, Helen McCookerybook. Copies of Typical Girls will be available to purchase at the Festival and there'll be a dedicated book signing after the event. About Zoë Howe Zoë Howe is an author, broadcaster and artist whose writing spans the worlds of music, culture and folklore. Her music books have covered artists including The Slits, Stevie Nicks, The Jesus & Mary Chain, Poly Styrene, The Jam and Dr Feelgood, and she was part of the team behind the award-winning documentary ‘Poly Styrene: I Am A Cliché’. Other work includes Witchful Thinking: The Wise Woman’s Handbook for Creating A Charmed Life and Scorpio Witch. Zoë is a Royal Literary Fund Writing Fellow, and the host of the radio show ‘Rock ’n’ Roll Witch’ on Soho Radio. About Helen McCookerybook: Helen McCookerybook (AKA Helen Reddington) is a musician and author. Her musical life started in Brighton punk band Joby and the Hooligans in 1977. Via her subsequent bands The Chefs and Helen and the Horns, she became a music lecturer, publishing two books ‘The Lost Women of Rock Music: female musicians of the punk era’ (2012) and ‘She’s at the Controls: sound engineering, production and gender ventriloquism in the 21st century’ (2021, both published by Equinox). She has now returned to musical life, releasing her album ‘Showtunes from the Shadows’ on the label Tiny Global in 2025. www.mccookerybook.comwww.mccookerybook.com Copies of Helen's books will also be available to purchase at the Festival and she'll be with Zoë for a dedicated book signing at the end of this event.