*The new book from the Orwell Prize-Winning author of Poverty Safari and The Social Distance Between Us*

Today, trauma permeates media, from music and television to films and books – my own included. While the increasing openness is welcome, I’ve observed that this rise has been accompanied by a parallel explosion of disinformation and sometimes harmful guidance about how to deal with personal trauma.

In Trauma Industrial Complex, I ask the question: How did we get here? And are the stories we’re telling ourselves liberating us or keeping us trapped? In this revealing and deeply personal book, I’ll pull back the curtain, sharing the hard-won wisdom I’ve gained from the events brought on by telling my own story.

Praise for Darren McGarvey:

‘An Orwell for today's poor’ – The Times
‘The standout, authentic voice of a generation’ – Herald
‘McGarvey is a rarity: a working-class writer who has fought to make the middle-class world hear what he has to say’ – Nick Cohen, Guardian

Brilliant and thought provoking.—Nicola Sturgeon

Darren writes powerfully and poignantly about the unanticipated impact of becoming a poster boy for Scotland's social ills.—Observer

Raw, insightful and provocative.—Irish Times

An at times brutally exposing account… McGarvey shows a maturity that belies many writers on similar topics; Trauma Industrial Complex therefore succeeds as far more than memoir.—The Scotsman

If it is taken seriously, it should have consequences… truly courageous, sincere and difficult.—The Herald

He’s a good person to write this book… uncompromising in his message.—Spectator

The standout, authentic voice of a generation—Herald

McGarvey is a rarity: a working-class writer who has fought to make the middle-class world hear what he has to say—Nick Cohen, Guardian

An Orwell for today's poor—The Times

An absolutely fascinating individual—Owen Jones

Darren McGarvey grew up in Pollok, Glasgow. He is a writer, hip-hop artist, broadcaster and campaigner. His bestselling and acclaimed first book Poverty Safari was awarded the Orwell Prize for political writing in 2018.