Clay - A human history

Clay is baked into our culture: we have been taking handfuls of earth and forming them into their own image since our history began. In Clay: A Human History, Jennifer Lucy Allan navigates the story of humankind and our relationship to making and creativity through our relationship with this enigmatic, ancient material.

Born out of a desire to know and understand the spiritual and practical applications of clay in both its micro and macro histories, Clay: A Human History is a hybrid of archaeology, history and lived experience as an amateur potter.

Praise:

"An engrossing history of the deep connection between humans and clay" - KATHERINE MAY

"Fascinating and powerful" - BRIAN ENO

"I have loved learning from every chapter in this beautiful and affecting book" - VASHTI BUNYAN

"Alchemical, magical, alive . . . a deeply engaging work about artists and their process, told through the stories of true outsiders and eccentrics, including Allan herself, whose vibrant and visceral musical language made me completely obsessed with a subject I knew nothing about" - HEATHER LEIGH

"Allan's writing goes beyond the physical, revealing not only how we shape and adapt clay, but the profound meaning at the heart of it . . . will inspire you to look upon your pots with new insight" - CAUGHT BY THE RIVER