A WATERSTONES BEST BOOK OF 2023: BIOGRAPHYThis Ragged Grace tells the story of Octavia's journey through recovery from alcohol addiction, and the parallel story of her father's descent into Alzheimer's. Over the course of seven years life continues to unfold. Paths are abandoned, people fall ill, waters get choppy, seemingly impossible things are navigated without the old fixes. As Octavia moves between London, Stromboli, New York, Cornwall and Margate, each place offers something new but ultimately always delivers the same message: that wherever you go, you take yourself with you.
About the Author
Octavia Bright is a writer, presenter and broadcaster. She co-hosted Literary Friction, the literary podcast and NTS Radio show, with Carrie Plitt. She presents programmes for BBC R4 including World Book Café and Open Book, and hosts literary events for bookshops, publishers and festivals - such as Cheltenham Literature Festival and events for The Southbank Centre. Her writing has been published in many places, including the White Review, Harper's Bazaar, ELLE, Wasafiri, Stylist, Guardian and the Sunday Times. She has a PhD from UCL where she wrote about hysteria and desire in Spanish cinema.@octaviabright_ | octavia.bright