The Life Inside

A unique insight into survival behind bars, inherited trauma and some of life’s most pressing questions.

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'Tense and intimate… an education.' Geoff Dyer
'Written with sensitivity and humanity... a remarkable insight into prison life.' Amanda Brown
'Authentic, fascinating and deeply moving.' Terry Waite
'Enriching, sobering and at times heartrending... a wonder' Lenny Henry
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Can someone in prison be more free than someone outside? Would we ever be good if we never felt shame? What makes a person worthy of forgiveness?

Andy West teaches philosophy in prisons. Every day he has conversations with people inside about their lives, discusses their ideas and feelings, and listens as they explore new ways to think about their situation.

When Andy goes behind bars, he also confronts his inherited trauma: his father, uncle and brother all spent time in prison. While Andy has built a different life for himself, he still fears that their fate will also be his. As he discusses pressing questions of truth, identity and hope with his students, he searches for his own form of freedom too.

Moving, sympathetic, wise and frequently funny, The Life Inside is an elegantly written and unforgettable book. Through a blend of memoir, storytelling and gentle philosophical questioning, it offers a new insight into our stretched justice system, our failing prisons and the complex lives being lived inside.
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'Strives with humour and compassion to understand the phenomenon of prison' Sydney Review of Books
'A fascinating and enlightening journey... A legitimate page-turner' 3AM