Book cover for Dayglo!: The Poly Styrene Story by Celeste Bell and Zoë Howe

Dayglo!

The Poly Styrene Story

2027 Released
208 Pages
3-4 Hours
Ebook Unavailable
Audiobook Unavailable
Paperback Available March 9, 2027
Hardback Unavailable
Omnibus PressISBN 9781917274364

In Dayglo, the vibrant jigsaw of Poly's story has been lovingly pieced together by her daughter, singer-songwriter Celeste Bell, and writer Zoë Howe.

"A true artist and a genuine one-off, and Dayglo is the celebration she deserves" CLASSIC ROCK

POLY STYRENE was a singer-songwriter, an artist, a free-thinker, a style pioneer and a life-long spiritual seeker: a true punk icon. This rebel queen was also a wickedly perceptive pop artist with a gift for satirising the world around her - utilising brightly coloured, playful aesthetics to be in contrast with the monochrome style and nihilism of punk.

In Dayglo, the vibrant jigsaw of Poly's story has been lovingly pieced together by her daughter, singer-songwriter Celeste Bell, and writer Zoë Howe.

Based on interviews with those who knew and loved Poly both personally and professionally, this book is enriched with testimonies from Vivienne Westwood, Don Letts, Neneh Cherry, Tessa Pollitt and Thurston Moore. It recounts her experiences growing up mixed-race in Brixton in the 1960s and how she came to be at the forefront of the punk scene with X-Ray Spex in the 1970s. Balancing being a single mother with a solo music career and often debilitating mental health issues, Dayglo is a moving exploration of Poly's exceptional life, up until her untimely passing in 2011.

Heavily illustrated throughout, Dayglo features personal photographs, hand-drawn artwork, lyrics, X-Ray Spex ephemera and more. The book beautifully captures Poly Styrene's legacy, standing as a poignant tribute to a woman who truly turned the world dayglo.


Celeste Bell

Celeste Bell is is a writer, filmmaker, and the director of the Poly Styrene Archive. She co-directed the award-winning documentary Poly Styrene: I Am a Cliche. As the primary curator of her mother's creative estate, Celeste manages a vast archive of artwork, diaries and music, overseeing high-profile global licensing and international exhibitions. Alongside Vivien Goldman and Lauren Jones, she is the co-founder of the Up Yours! Collective, an organisation dedicated to preserving and celebrating the legacy of women in punk and alternative music.

Why Readwise Books?

Readwise Books is an ebook & audiobook platform that automatically logs how much you and your friends read, making it fun and easy to read more. Learn more →