Throwaway: A Memoir of Growing Up in Post-WW II London

by Barry Harden

Born to a working-class couple in North Harrow, London, Barry Harden admittedly entered the world with significantly less enthusiasm than was present at his conception. Left to his own devices at an alarmingly young age, with no guidebook for the scenic route or the pitfalls, he navigated a treacherous path fraught with a series of escapades-ranging from thrilling to downright hair-raising-that became his crash course on survival.



During the youth-driven cultural revolution of the sixties, he found release in smoky jazz clubs, the beat counterculture, and a pencil stub that helped him channel his inner demons onto scraps of paper and pub serviettes. Somehow, he survived.

243 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 7, 2025

About the author

Barry Harden is the author of a memoir, five novels, two books of poetry and a collection of short stories in the genres of political thriller, satire, Gothic fantasy poetry, and allegorical short stories. An animal rights, environmental protection, and civil rights proponent, he often injects his affinity for such in his writings.

Some of Mr. Harden’s poetry can be viewed in video format on YouTube: Dark Gothic Poetry and Stories.

Born in North Harrow, London, he has been living in the south of France for over two decades and hosts a sanctuary for wayward cats. He is an avid enthusiast of Black jazz and blues from the 1920s and 30s.