In the late 1990s, Manchester was a city in upheaval. The devastation of the IRA bomb and the closure of the notorious Haçienda nightclub were seismic events that rocked the city's confidence at a time when identikit bands were flooding its clubs and bars, fuelled on anthemic guitar rock and swagger. Stereotypes were everywhere, while the spirit of Manchester was silently suffocating.

Mancunians: Where do we start, where do I begin? is the story of those who didn't fit the typecast: the musicians of colour, the football fans alienated by rampant commercialism, frustrated public figures, optimistic developers and ambitious artists.

Through a mixture of memoir and interviews with well-known Mancunians such as Guy Garvey, Tunde Babalola, Sylvia Tella, Badly Drawn Boy and Stan Chow, David Scott portrays the city at the turn of the century in a way never seen before.

Reviews

One of I Love MCR's 'Manchester books you need to read before you die'

'Witty and wise... Mancunians is everything a book about Mancunians should be.'
Daniel Harris, The Guardian

'Here is someone who is fiercely "Mancunian", with an understanding of the city's recent past, but not bogged down by the baggage and beholden to it... Highly recommended.'
Iain Key, Louder Than War

'A great read from one of Manchester's finest wordsmiths.'
Clint Boon

'An honest love letter to the city.'
Christine Bottomley

'A touching and brilliant balance of the personal and the popular, from a time when there was so much change in the city.'
Mr Scruff

Preface: A view from the Low
1 'Manchester was miserable' / 15 June 1996
2 'The city that lets down its pupils' / Youth
3 'It's the world of the drama series The Wire' / Crime
4 'He's going to have sex with that girl on stage!' / Nightlife
5 'A different success for Manchester' / Music
6 'Did horse semen lead to their downfall?' / Football
7 'And Tony Wilson didn't even say it!' / Media
8 'Proper Manc' / Identity
9 (There is no) Conclusion
Index

Author

David Scott is a father, author, poet, musician and BBC presenter. His work has appeared in The New York Times, The Guardian and Politiken. He was born, raised and lives in Manchester.