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Grandma Norman and the Queen
Philip Norman
‘From the fifties to the seventies the Queen hadn't put a foot wrong.’
Doing the Work
Doing the Work
‘I think there should be a National Service of Hospitality. The best way to see the true face of humanity is to serve it a plate of chips.’
Camilla Grudova on bad-mannered customers.
Doing the Work
‘Anyone who has ever worked night shifts will understand the vertiginous feeling that comes with staring down the day from the wrong end.’
A.K. Blakemore on working nights.
Doing the Work
‘I was constantly reading job ads, trying to find my holy grail – a job I could stand to do, and someone foolish enough to hire me.’
Sandra Newman on learning how to play professional blackjack.
Doing the Work
‘I loved being a receptionist. What I loved about it was playing the part of being a receptionist.’
Emily Berry on being a temporary office worker.
Doing the Work
‘Every part of you would swell, including your eyeballs, and no matter how much water you drank, you were always dehydrated.’
Junot Díaz on working for a steel mill.
Philip Norman
Philip Norman was born in 1943 and was brought up on the Isle of Wight, where his father operated the Amusement Arcade and Skating Rink at the end of Ryde Pier. He has written widely about music for the Sunday Times and The Times. He is the author of SHOUT! The True Story of the Beatles, The Skater’s Waltz and The Road Goes on Forever. In 1983, he was named one of Granta’s Best of Young British Novelists. His most recent biographies include John Lennon: The Life (2008) and Mick Jagger (2012).
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