P47. my life in books
The pop culture-loving British fashion designer shares the reads that have shaped his life
Giles Deacon reveals his life-changing reads.
DAN LENO & THE LIMEHOUSE GOLEM by Peter Ackroyd I gravitate towards books set in London, and Limehouse is close to my studio. Ackroyd writes in such a visceral way about this precursor to Jack the Ripper, and transports you to the Victorian court scenes. I absolutely adore London as a city. It’s very inspiring, exciting and constantly surprising. KISS KISS by Roald Dahl
I bought this macabre short-story collection when I first moved to London to go to Central Saint Martins. My favourite story is “Royal Jelly”, about a beekeeper and his daughter. And I love the jacket; book covers are a place where interesting design is happening at the moment. I’d love to do a book-cover collab. THE VIRGIN SUICIDES by Jeffrey Eugenides The way Eugenides writes about who the mysterious sisters were through the fascination of the boys in the neighbourhood is extraordinary. I thought the film was phenomenal, too; I’m a big fan of Sofia Coppola, who directed it, and the soundtrack by Air is wonderful. I listen to music when I read, usually instrumental electronic stuff for atmosphere. TALES OF THE CITY by Armistead Maupin
I read this witty series of nine novels, set in bohemian San Francisco and spanning the mid ’70s to the present day, before I ever visited the city. When I was wandering around there, I was thinking about the characters from the books. My favourite was the controversial, fantastic Mrs Madrigal. I think if I didn’t live and work in London, I’d live somewhere in California. THE SWEETS OF PIMLICO by AN Wilson This is such a wonderfully acerbic story about a teacher and her various lovers, including her brother. It was recommended by a friend’s father. [Designers] Luella Bartley and Jonathan Saunders are always good with book recommendations, too. MY FAMILY AND OTHER ANIMALS by Gerald Durrell I read a lot as a child, but I was obsessed with this memoir about the author’s childhood in Corfu with his eccentric family and all the animals of the island. It was given to me by my grandmother when I was nine. I read it about 30 times by the time I was 14. She knew I loved flora and fauna, and characterful people. BEDLAM: LONDON AND ITS MAD by Catharine Arnold This look at the notorious Bethlem psychiatric hospital fascinated me. I was interested in the stories of the different types of people, from aristocrats to the poor. In some ways, our relationship with mental health has evolved and in other ways it hasn’t at all; it continually seems to be stigmatised. WAGSTAFF: BEFORE AND AFTER MAPPLETHORPE – A BIOGRAPHY by Philip Gefter This is an amazing view of both New York in the ’60s and ’70s and the influence curator Sam Wagstaff and his lover, photographer Robert Mapplethorpe, had on contemporary photography. I’m inspired by stories of eccentrics and the peculiar ways in which they work.