Author Bio

 

Adelle Stripe was born in York, UK, in 1976 and lives in West Yorkshire.

 

Her writing is rooted in the nonfiction novel form and explores working-class culture, untold histories of Northern England, popular music, and smalltown life.

 

Adelle's debut novel, Black Teeth and a Brilliant Smile, was based on the life and work of Bradford playwright Andrea Dunbar. Described by David Peace as ‘one of the great debut novels of the century,' Black Teeth was shortlisted for the Gordon Burn Prize and Portico Prize for Literature. It was an Observer book of the year. A new edition was recently reissued by Virago Press.  

 

Her second book, Ten Thousand Apologies: Fat White Family and the Miracle of Failure, was shortlisted for the Penderyn Music Book Prize. Co-written with lead singer Lias Saoudi, the biography charts the rise, fall and eventual salvage of one of the UK’s most controversial bands. It was a Rough Trade book of the year and a Sunday Times bestseller.  

 

Three of her poetry chapbooks were published in limited edition, hand printed form by Blackheath Books. The Humber Star - a poem based on the experiences of her seafaring ancestors in 19th century Hessle Road - was performed live at John Grant's North Atlantic Flux for Hull City of Culture. In 2023, she recorded a New Postscripts audio essay based on J.B. Priestley’s classic wartime broadcasts as part of the BBC's centenary celebrations.

 

As a journalist, Adelle has contributed to The Quietus, Yorkshire Post, TLS, Record Collector, Sunday Times and New Statesman. She has received writing commissions from the British Film Institute, Manchester Literature Festival, Leeds West Indian Carnival and many more. 

 

Adelle holds a BA, MA and PhD by Research in Modern British History and Creative Writing. As a lecturer, she has tutored at York St. John, Manchester Metropolitan University and Leeds Trinity. She was a Burgess Fellow at the University of Manchester's Centre for New Writing in 2023. Adelle is an editorial board member at British Pop Archive Books and a trustee at Mutton Fist Press, a small but perfectly formed printmaking charity based at the Bomb Factory, London. 

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Base Notes: The Scents of a Life, her recent olfactory memoir, is published by White Rabbit / Orion. 

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