{"title":"Books of the Year 2026","description":"\u003cp\u003eExplore Rough Trade’s Books of the Year 2026, from our winning book to the full Top 20.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.roughtrade.com\/en-gb\/browse\/books-of-the-year-2026\"\u003eExplore the full list\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.roughtrade.com\/en-gb\/browse\/end-of-year-2026\"\u003eBack to Best of the Year\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"even-the-good-girls-will-cry-my-90s-rock-memoir","title":"Even the Good Girls Will Cry: My ’90s Rock Memoir","description":"\u003c!-- rt-boty-2026:start --\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNumber 1 in Rough Trade's Books of the Year 2026.\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.roughtrade.com\/en-gb\/browse\/books-of-the-year-2026\"\u003eExplore our full Top 20.\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c!-- rt-boty-2026:end --\u003e\u003cp\u003eA remarkably open-hearted, clear-eyed memoir of the '90s alternative era by the bassist of Hole and The Smashing Pumpkins.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThanks to a thrown beer bottle and a fan letter to a P.O. box, Melissa Auf der Maur's first band scored an opening slot for the Smashing Pumpkins in her bohemian home town, Montreal. Sensing Melissa's talent, Billy Corgan recommended her to Courtney Love. Whisked from her local scene, Melissa joined Hole just after the deaths of Kurt Cobain and Hole's prior bassist, Kristen Pfaff, with the just-widowed Courtney Love at the centre of it all.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThat was only the beginning of Melissa's journey through alternative rock, a trip she undertook alongside 90s luminaries including Rufus Wainwright, Michael Stipe and her former boyfriend, Dave Grohl. Even the Good Girls Will Cry is a vivid dispatch from the last analogue decade, capturing that by- gone era in all its messy, angsty glory.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Atlantic","offers":[{"title":"Hardback - BOTY","offer_id":58394866942283,"sku":"R6700-6659","price":22.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Hardback - signed only","offer_id":56570186989899,"sku":"R6700-2152","price":22.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Hardback","offer_id":56352479838539,"sku":"R6700-1415","price":22.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Hardback - Exclusive - Signed - Photo postcard","offer_id":56266617848139,"sku":"R6700-7927","price":22.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/41Mlo6CwylL._SY445_SX342_ControlCacheEqualizer.jpg?v=1761862357"},{"product_id":"groovy-laidback-and-nasty-a-history-of-independent-music-in-sheffield","title":"Groovy, Laidback and Nasty A History of Independent Music in Sheffield","description":"\u003c!-- rt-boty-2026:start --\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNumber 18 in Rough Trade's Books of the Year 2026.\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.roughtrade.com\/en-gb\/browse\/books-of-the-year-2026\"\u003eExplore our full Top 20.\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c!-- rt-boty-2026:end --\u003e\u003cp\u003eAn exploration of Sheffield's immense musical legacy, told through its independent artists, scenes and spirit.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFrom dazzling electronic futurism to pioneering post-punk, via pop, metal, bassline, bleep techno and generation-defining indie rock, Sheffield has long been a crucible for world-leading music.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSome artists have excelled on the fringes, others have achieved global success, but all remain connected through a fervently independent ethos. In Sheffield, creativity flourished in the face of isolation, economic decline and bleak political circumstances, resulting in some of Britain's most groundbreaking and singular music. But the region's ingrained humility and dogged stoicism means it has never been documented or celebrated to the level of more hubristic cities.\u003cbr\u003eIn Groovy, Laidback and Nasty, acclaimed Sheffield journalist Daniel Dylan Wray sets out to remedy this, telling the story of the city's DIY spirit and the musical visionaries and innovators who helped build its inimitable legacy. Exhaustively researched and spanning almost seven decades, it features over 150 interviews with the likes of Pulp, Arctic Monkeys, The Human League, Cabaret Voltaire, Self Esteem and Richard Hawley, along with countless others.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBoth a compelling cultural study and an unapologetic love letter to the city, this - finally is the definitive musical history Sheffield so richly deserves.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"White Rabbit","offers":[{"title":"Hardback - BOTY","offer_id":58396740780363,"sku":"R7800-7064","price":25.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Hardback - Fanzine -Signed","offer_id":55941109055819,"sku":"R7800-2112","price":25.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"Hardback","offer_id":57366132588875,"sku":"R7800-8185","price":25.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Hardback (US) - Unsigned","offer_id":59122066653515,"sku":"R7800-4941","price":25.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/GroovyLaidback_Nasty_FINAL.jpg?v=1763566602"},{"product_id":"manchester-must-dance-a-life-of-music-madness-and-moving-on-up","title":"Manchester Must Dance: A Life of Music, Madness and Moving on Up","description":"\u003c!-- rt-boty-2026:start --\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNumber 20 in Rough Trade's Books of the Year 2026.\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.roughtrade.com\/en-gb\/browse\/books-of-the-year-2026\"\u003eExplore our full Top 20.\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c!-- rt-boty-2026:end --\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-text-bold\"\u003eFrom Manchester’s backstreets to global dancefloors – the untold story of a musical pioneer.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBeginning on the night in November 1963 when his mum took him to see the Beatles live at Manchester’s ABC Cinema, Mike Pickering takes the reader through sixty years of clubs, clothes, gigs, record labels, football matches and politics.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003ePickering has lived through decades of rapid change in popular music. As an influential DJ he introduced house music into the legendary Haçienda. He signed Happy Mondays and James to Factory Records before working with Kasabian, Gossip and Calvin Harris at Sony. His Mercury Prize-winning, multi-million-selling group M People transformed the music industry's attitude to dance music. As he tells his remarkable story he introduces an array of friends and collaborators, many of whom would become important – and sometimes notorious – figures in music history.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rough Trade Books","offers":[{"title":"Hardback - BOTY","offer_id":58113627324747,"sku":"R9727-5618","price":20.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Hardback - signed","offer_id":56032959070539,"sku":"R9727-6744","price":20.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Hardback","offer_id":56471557931339,"sku":"R9727-9984","price":20.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/71zTPq6NsEL._SY522_-1.jpg?v=1764765416"},{"product_id":"on-the-fragility-of-life","title":"On the Fragility of Life","description":"\u003c!-- rt-boty-2026:start --\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNumber 10 in Rough Trade's Books of the Year 2026.\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.roughtrade.com\/en-gb\/browse\/books-of-the-year-2026\"\u003eExplore our full Top 20.\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c!-- rt-boty-2026:end --\u003e\u003cp\u003eA conversation of rare depth and tenderness, On the Fragility of Life finds Nick Cave reflecting on love, loss, faith, and the fragile beauty of being alive. What emerges is a luminous meditation on mourning and meaning—unflinching, compassionate, and filled\u003cbr\u003ewith the kind of grace that only grief can teach.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Eris","offers":[{"title":"Pamphlet - BOTY","offer_id":58487466000715,"sku":"R5161-6032","price":6.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Pamphlet","offer_id":56043303993675,"sku":"R5161-1435","price":6.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/41ravUX6tlL.jpg?v=1764847644"},{"product_id":"pet-shop-boys-volume-the-complete-visual-record","title":"Pet Shop Boys Volume: The complete visual record","description":"\u003c!-- rt-boty-2026:start --\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNumber 5 in Rough Trade's Books of the Year 2026.\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.roughtrade.com\/en-gb\/browse\/books-of-the-year-2026\"\u003eExplore our full Top 20.\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c!-- rt-boty-2026:end --\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-text-bold\"\u003eMarking the fortieth anniversary of\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-text-bold a-text-italic\"\u003ePlease\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-text-bold\"\u003e, the duo’s first album release,\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-text-bold a-text-italic\"\u003ePet Shop Boys Volume\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-text-bold\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003epresents their entire visual output to date in a contemporary literary format.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003ePet Shop Boys – Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe – are the most successful duo in the history of pop music. Three-time Brit Award winners and six-time Grammy nominees, they have sold more than 50 million records worldwide, including No. 1 hits such as ‘West End girls’, ‘It’s a sin’, and ‘Always on my mind’, and platinum-selling albums \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-text-italic\"\u003ePlease\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-text-italic\"\u003eActually\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, and \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-text-italic\"\u003eVery\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eUniquely spanning the worlds of music, art, film, theatre, design, and fashion, Pet Shop Boys have forged an identity as unforgettable as their sound. From the seminal graphic design of their record sleeves to their groundbreaking videos and innovative stage shows, they have set the bar for the visual presentation of pop.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eCelebrating the fortieth anniversary of the release of their first album in 1986, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-text-italic\"\u003ePet Shop Boys Volume\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e is the definitive retrospective of the duo’s career. Expanding upon \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-text-italic\"\u003ePet Shop Boys Catalogue\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, published two decades ago, it presents their entire visual output to date, year by year. Sleeve artworks and packaging, stills from every video, film, and performance, stage sets and costume designs, photoshoots, publications, and even Christmas cards all feature, as does every collaboration with luminaries including Mark Farrow, Wolfgang Tillmans, Martin Parr, Bruce Weber, Sam Taylor-Johnson, Derek  arman, Scott King, Zaha Hadid, Tom Scutt, and Es Devlin.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eConcise commentaries by Chris Heath and Philip Hoare provide illuminating insights into the genesis of each project. Hoare’s original introduction is accompanied by a new introduction from Libby Sellers who considers the importance of Pet Shop Boys within the history of design, while a new foreword by Jeremy Deller reflects on the enduring impact of their music and image.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWith a jacket designed by Farrow and a new conversation between Heath, Tennant, and Lowe, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-text-italic\"\u003ePet Shop Boys Volume\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e is a visual feast and a sumptuous tribute to four decades of creative innovation.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Thames and Hudson","offers":[{"title":"Hardback","offer_id":56986663551307,"sku":"R3679-2096","price":40.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/61LJlqdg3KL._SY522_-1.jpg?v=1765213899"},{"product_id":"johnny-marr-set-the-boy-free-illustrated-anniversary-edition","title":"Johnny Marr: Set the Boy Free: Illustrated Anniversary Edition","description":"\u003c!-- rt-boty-2026:start --\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNumber 11 in Rough Trade's Books of the Year 2026.\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.roughtrade.com\/en-gb\/browse\/books-of-the-year-2026\"\u003eExplore our full Top 20.\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c!-- rt-boty-2026:end --\u003e\u003cp\u003eA fully illustrated, enhanced and reformatted edition of Johnny Marr’s acclaimed autobiography,\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eSet the Boy Free\u003c\/i\u003e, sumptuously re-imagined with additional archival photography and exclusive updates by Marr himself.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA slick redesign integrating the classic text and photographs with expanded imagery from the archives of Angie Marr, this enhanced edition of Johnny Marr’s bestselling autobiography is so much more than the story of the much-loved guitar wizard. It’s the inside track of popular music over the last forty years, laid bare by a musical legend at the heart of it all and never far from the Top 10. A true collector’s item,\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eJohnny Marr: Set the Boy Free\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003ealso includes a brand-new introduction by Marr and his previously unpublished, highly personal eulogy for Smiths bassist and school friend Andy Rourke.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePublished to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the original edition of\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eSet the Boy Free\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eand the 40th anniversary of the release of The Smiths’\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Queen Is Dead\u003cspan\u003e –\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e voted the greatest album of all time by NME – this illustrated anniversary edition includes swathes of never-before-published photography from this classic Smiths era, and comes at a time when Marr’s stature as a musician, songwriter and household name confirms his position as a modern cultural icon.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Thames and Hudson","offers":[{"title":"Hardback - BOTY","offer_id":58751850774859,"sku":"R5551-3071","price":30.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Hardback - Signed","offer_id":58751926337867,"sku":"R5551-4767","price":30.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"Hardback","offer_id":56141183779147,"sku":"R5551-1655","price":30.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/61DIRtVGfuL._SL1200.jpg?v=1790645275"},{"product_id":"still-in-a-dream-shoegaze-slackers-and-the-reinvention-of-rock-1984-1994","title":"Still in a Dream: Shoegaze, Slackers and the Reinvention of Rock, 1984–1994","description":"\u003c!-- rt-boty-2026:start --\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNumber 2 in Rough Trade's Books of the Year 2026.\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.roughtrade.com\/en-gb\/browse\/books-of-the-year-2026\"\u003eExplore our full Top 20.\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c!-- rt-boty-2026:end --\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eStill in a Dream: Shoegaze, Slackers and the Reinvention of Rock, 1984–1994\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eA groundbreaking history of late 1980s underground music and the emergence of \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eshoegaze as the defining sound of an era, from acclaimed music journalist Simon Reynolds.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe definitive story of the slackers and shoegazers who reinvented rock. 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