NON-FICTION BOOK OF THE WEEK The Life Inside: A Memoir Of Prison, Family And Philosophy by Andy West

(Picador, £16.99; ebook £7.99)

Andy West teaches philosophy in prisons – he and the inmates grapple with tricky concepts around time, shame, truth and freedom, their sometimes insightful ruminations interrupted by jokes, gossip and arguments. But West’s connection with prisons runs deeper than the urge to impart knowledge. His father, brother and uncle all served time – leaving an indelible impression on West’s life. This book brilliantly captures the boredom and frustration of jail but where it really excels is showing the impact it has on those who have not committed a crime: the families.

West is determined not to be like his relatives

but to keep himself on the straight and narrow, he appoints what he calls an “executioner in my head”, who plagues him with distressing and obsessive thoughts. It’s his battle with this inner imprisonment, as well as his accounts of teaching, that makes The Life Inside both fascinating and moving.

JACKIE KINGSLEY