{"product_id":"broken-greek-paphides","title":"Broken Greek - Pete Paphides","description":"\u003ch3\u003eWINNER OF THE RSL CHRISTOPHER BLAND PRIZE 2021\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLast copy available in hardback before out of print.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e'Do you sometimes feel like the music you're hearing is explaining your life to you?'\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eWhen Pete's parents moved from Cyprus to Birmingham in the 1960s in the hope of a better life, they had no money and only a little bit of English. They opened a fish-and-chip shop in Acocks Green. The Great Western Fish Bar is where Pete learned about coin-operated machines, male banter and Britishness.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eShy and introverted, Pete stopped speaking from age 4 to 7, and found refuge instead in the bittersweet embrace of pop songs, thanks to Top of the Pops and Dial-A-Disc. From Brotherhood of Man to UB40, from ABBA to The Police, music provided the safety net he needed to protect him from the tensions of his home life. It also helped him navigate his way around the challenges surrounding school, friendships and phobias such as visits to the barber, standing near tall buildings and Rod Hull and Emu.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eWith every passing year, his guilty secret became more horrifying to him: his parents were Greek, but all the things that excited him were British. And the engine of that realisation? 'Sugar Baby Love', 'Don't Go Breaking My Heart', 'Tragedy', 'Silly Games', 'Going Underground', 'Come On Eileen', and every other irresistibly thrilling chart hit blaring out of the chip shop radio.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eNever have the trials and tribulations of growing up and the human need for a sense of belonging been so heart-breakingly and humorously depicted.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e*Listen along with Pete's BROKEN GREEK playlist on Spotify!*\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e'Lip-lickingly, dance-around-the-living-room good... A smash hit' Observer\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e'Unflinching and heartwarming' - Adam Kay\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e'Tender, clever and as funny as it gets ... a heart-piercing joy' - Lauren Laverne\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e'An exceptional coming-of-age story [...] Pete Paphides may very well have the biggest heart in Britain' - Marina Hyde\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e'I ADORE this utterly wonderful coming-of-age memoir. Joyful, clever, and a bit heartbreaking' - Nina Stibbe\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e'Heartfelt, hilarious and beautifully written, Broken Greek is a childhood memoir like no other' - Cathy Newman\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e'So wonderfully written, such a light touch. Drenched in sentiment yet not in the least sentimental' - John Niven\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e'It's brilliant. Sad, really funny and beautifully written ... just fantastic' - Alexis Petridis\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e'A truly beautiful book' - James O'Brien\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e'Intoxicating' - Kirsty Wark\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e'Oh, how I love Pete Paphides and this book' - Daniel Finkelstein\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e'A balm in these times' David Nicholls\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e'Fantastic ... Can't recommend it highly enough' Tim Burgess\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ctable id=\"product-attribute-specs-table\"\u003e\n\u003ctbody\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003cth scope=\"row\"\u003ePages\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003ctd data-th=\"Pages\"\u003e585\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003cth scope=\"row\"\u003ePublication Date\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003ctd data-th=\"Publication Date\"\u003e2020\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003cth scope=\"row\"\u003ePublisher\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003ctd data-th=\"Publisher\"\u003eQuercus Publishing\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003cth scope=\"row\"\u003eISBN\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003ctd data-th=\"ISBN\"\u003e9781529404432\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003cth scope=\"row\"\u003eBinding\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003ctd data-th=\"Binding\"\u003eHardback\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003cth scope=\"row\"\u003eAuthor\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003ctd data-th=\"Author\"\u003ePete Paphides\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/tbody\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e","brand":"Diavazo Greek Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":40155252883645,"sku":"broken greek paphides","price":20.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0580\/7574\/2397\/products\/broken-greek-pete-paphides-6965049.jpg?v=1765466478","url":"https:\/\/checkout.diavazo.co.uk\/products\/broken-greek-paphides","provider":"Diavazo Greek Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}