Author Guide · Music Memoir
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Viv Albertine played guitar in The Slits, the all-women punk band, from 1977 to 1982, and recorded their 1979 album Cut. Three decades later she wrote about it. Her first memoir, published by Faber in 2014, was named a book of the year by the Sunday Times, Mojo, Rough Trade and NME, and in 2019 The New York Times put it on its list of the 50 best memoirs of the past 50 years. Her second, four years later, turned to her own family. This guide covers her 2 key books, in order, and where to begin.
By Lisanne Swart · 2 key books · 2014–2018 · Updated October 2026
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Quick answer
Viv Albertine has published two books: Clothes, Clothes, Clothes. Music, Music, Music. Boys, Boys, Boys. (2014), her memoir of a life that includes The Slits, and To Throw Away Unopened (2018), about her family. Start with the 2014 memoir.
Where to Start with Viv Albertine
If you want punk and The Slits
→ Clothes, Clothes, Clothes. Music, Music, Music. Boys, Boys, Boys. (2014) — the 2014 memoir.
If you want the family story
→ To Throw Away Unopened (2018) — the 2018 follow-up.
2 Viv Albertine Books, in Order
Clothes, Clothes, Clothes. Music, Music, Music. Boys, Boys, Boys.
Albertine’s first memoir, published by Faber and Faber in the UK and Thomas Dunne Books in the US, covering her life including her years as guitarist of The Slits. It was named a book of the year by the Sunday Times, Mojo, Rough Trade and NME, and was included in The New York Times’ 2019 list of the 50 best memoirs of the past 50 years.
To Throw Away Unopened
Her second memoir, published by Faber in May 2018, about her family and in particular her complex relationship with her mother. The title comes from a note on a bag her mother left behind when she died; it held her mother’s diaries, which Albertine read and wove into the book.
In What Order to Read Viv Albertine
Read them in publication order. To Throw Away Unopened stands on its own, but the 2014 memoir gives the outline of her life that the second book takes for granted.
If you come to her through music, start with the 2014 book, which covers The Slits; the 2018 book is about her family rather than music.
A reading path
1. Clothes, Clothes, Clothes. Music, Music, Music. Boys, Boys, Boys. (2014)
2. To Throw Away Unopened (2018)
The years · 1954–2019
Quick facts about Viv Albertine
- Known for
- Playing guitar in the punk band The Slits from 1977 to 1982, and a 2014 memoir that The New York Times later listed among the 50 best memoirs of the past 50 years.
- 1954
- Born in Sydney, Australia
- 1977
- Joins The Slits as guitarist
- 1979
- The Slits release Cut
- 2019
- In the NYT’s 50 best memoirs of 50 years
- Born
- 1 December 1954, Sydney, Australia
- Band
- Guitarist of The Slits, 1977–1982
- Solo album
- The Vermilion Border (2012)
- Film
- Starred in Joanna Hogg’s Exhibition (2013)
- Books
- Two memoirs, both published by Faber (2014, 2018)
- Recognition
- 2014 book of the year for the Sunday Times, Mojo, Rough Trade and NME
The red mark is 2014: her first memoir, Clothes, Clothes, Clothes. Music, Music, Music. Boys, Boys, Boys.
How Viv Albertine Writes
Both books are memoirs, written in the first person and without a credited co-writer. Albertine came to writing after careers in music and film: she wrote and directed the short film Coping with Cupid (1991), worked as a freelance director for the BBC and the British Film Institute, and directed music videos.
The 2014 memoir is built around her own life rather than the history of a scene, so it does not stop where the band stops.
To Throw Away Unopened narrows the focus to one family and the documents it left behind, above all her mother’s diaries.
Watch
Viv Albertine on clothes, music and boys
Viv Albertine talks to Channel 4 News in 2014 about her memoir Clothes, Clothes, Clothes. Music, Music, Music. Boys, Boys, Boys.
Frequently asked questions about Viv Albertine’s books
How many books has Viv Albertine written?
Two: Clothes, Clothes, Clothes. Music, Music, Music. Boys, Boys, Boys. (2014) and To Throw Away Unopened (2018). In October 2023 The Bookseller reported that Fern Press had signed two more books from her, a memoir and a novel.
What are Viv Albertine’s books in order?
Clothes, Clothes, Clothes. Music, Music, Music. Boys, Boys, Boys. (2014), then To Throw Away Unopened (2018).
Where should I start with Viv Albertine?
With Clothes, Clothes, Clothes. Music, Music, Music. Boys, Boys, Boys. (2014). It covers The Slits and the years after, and the 2018 book builds on it.
What is Viv Albertine’s most famous book?
Her 2014 memoir, Clothes, Clothes, Clothes. Music, Music, Music. Boys, Boys, Boys. It was a 2014 book of the year for the Sunday Times, Mojo, Rough Trade and NME, and in 2019 The New York Times named it one of the 50 best memoirs of the past 50 years.
Did Viv Albertine write her memoirs herself?
Yes. Both books are published under her name alone, with no co-writer credited.
Is the book worth reading if you don’t know The Slits?
Yes. The 2014 memoir covers her whole life, not only the band, and the 2018 book is about her family, so neither depends on knowing the music.
What is To Throw Away Unopened about?
Her family, and above all her relationship with her mother. The title comes from a note on a bag of diaries her mother left when she died; Albertine read them and used them in the book. Faber published it in May 2018.
What band was Viv Albertine in?
The Slits, the London punk band, in which she played guitar from 1977 to 1982. She is on their albums Cut (1979) and Return of the Giant Slits (1981). Her only solo studio album, The Vermilion Border, came out in 2012.
Has Viv Albertine acted in films?
Yes. She starred in Joanna Hogg’s film Exhibition (2013), with Liam Gillick and Tom Hiddleston, and worked on the soundtrack of Hogg’s Archipelago (2010).
Footnotes
- Viv Albertine — Wikipedia
- Fern Press scoops two-book deal from Viv Albertine — The Bookseller, 2023
- Punk legend and memoirist Viv Albertine on a lifetime of fighting the patriarchy — NPR, 2018
- Punk survivor: Clothes, Clothes, Clothes… by Viv Albertine — New Statesman, 2014
Bibliography last verified 9 October 2026. Where sources give different first-publication years, this page uses the year in library catalogues or the publisher’s own record.
This list was not put together by a machine.
The notes are all mine,
and the books are all his.
Lisanne x
Written by Lisanne Swart, who has curated reading lists and author guides at lisanneswart.com since 2021.
See more on her personal bookshelf.
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