This Is A Modern Life: The 1980s London Mod Scene

by Des Mannay

In 1979, catalysed by the movie Quadrophenia and the Ska revival, Mod, the ultimate youth culture, was reborn. This Is a Modern Life draws on interviews with the key mod faces, musicians, DJs and promoters of the era to document 10 years of Mod life in London and is also lavishly illustrated with photos, fliers, posters and record sleeves.

192 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2004

About the author

"Focused on hard-hitting social issues… poems which made a statement”' (Sabotage Reviews). "One can almost hear the words thumping aloud on the page. One can only imagine the rapturous response of an audience listening" (Menna Elfyn)

Des Mannay's first collection, "Sod ’em – and tomorrow" is published by Waterloo Press. He is co-editor of The Angry Manifesto poetry journal, and the winner of the 'rethinkyourmind' poetry competition (2015), and LIT-UP poetry competition (2018). Placed 2nd and highly commended in the Disability Arts Cymru poetry Competition (2015). 'Gold Award' winner in the Creative Futures Literary Awards (2015), Madder Than We Look poetry competition (2016), shortlisted for the erbacce-prize for poetry (2015, and 2016 and 2019), Welsh Poetry Competition (2015), The John Tripp and Idris Davies poetry competition; part of Rhymney Valley Literature and Arts Festival 2016, and the Disability Arts Cymru poetry Competition (2016)

Des has performed at numerous venues, including the 'Unity' Festival, 'Maindee' Festival, 'Hub' Festival, 'Stoke Newington Literature Festival', KAYA Festival of World Music & Arts, Merthyr Rising, The Seed Festival, Walls:Muriau - Welsh mental health arts festival, and Green Gathering. He has poems published in 'I Am Not A Silent Poet' online journal, 'The Angry Manifesto', 'Proletarian Poetry', 'Yellow Chair Review', 'Indiana Voice Journal', 'Stand Up And Spit', 'Red Poets', 'The Scum Gentry' 'The Round Up', 'Poetry24', 'Winning Writers' 'International Times', 'Erbacce Journal' and work in 18 poetry anthologies. Des is on facebook as "The stuff wot I wrote' Des Mannay - hooligan Poet" https://www.facebook.com/The-stuff-wo... and Twitter as @hooliganpoet

Published poetry online here -

'Proletarian Poetry' https://proletarianpoetry.com/?s=des+...

International Times http://internationaltimes.it/?s=des+m...

Poetry24 http://www.poetry24.co.uk/search?q=de...

I Am Not A Silent Poet https://iamnotasilentpoet.wordpress.c...

Stand Up And Spit https://standupandspit.wordpress.com/...

Pendemic http://pendemic.ie/?s=des+mannay&...

Indiana Voice Journal http://www.indianavoicejournal.com/20...

Winning Writers https://winningwriters.com/resources/...