The “subversive” books that shaped Shirley Manson
With her distinctive contralto snarl and feminist ethos, Garbage singer Shirley Manson has become an icon of the alt-rock scene. As the vocalist and head songwriter, Manson pushed the band away from the grunge periphery and into mainstream acclaim, with not only a blistering punk output to their name but a Bond theme, too.
The singer was heavily influenced by other iconic frontwomen like Siouxsie Sioux, Patti Smith, and Debbie Harry, but she is first and foremost a gifted songwriter, avidly scouring the literary world for inspiration. Talking to Elle, Manson named the books that shaped her the most, a varied collection that veers from sci-fi to feminist manifestos.
In a nod to one of her idols, Patti Smith’s Just Kids was one of Manson’s favourites, so much so that she burst into tears when she met Smith for the first time. “She put her hand gently on my arm,” she recalled, “which calmed me down.” It was Smith’s portrayal of love, passion, and New York’s music scene that prompted Manson to call the book a “small masterpiece”.
Another author Manson befriended was Iain Banks, whose book The Wasp Factory was a “subversive treasure” that appealed to Manson as a teen. “I later became friends with Iain, and his belief in me gave me confidence,” she said. “When I got the gig in Garbage, there was no one happier for me than him.”
Manson also enjoyed J.D. Salinger’s Catch in the Rye as a “difficult teenager” because the alienation and angst she felt were reflected in Holden Caulfield’s character. “It made such an impression on me that in Garbage’s video for ‘Why Do You Love Me’, I’m reading my dad’s old copy,” revealed Manson.
Manson was mercilessly criticised for injecting feminist thought into Garbage lyrics but never once abandoned her message. “The word feminist has been so obfuscated, but it has a beautiful meaning,” she said, after noting the impact of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s We Should All Be Feminists. Manson found herself recommending the essay to her friends’ daughters as an “incredibly comforting” read.
Shere Hite’s The Hite Report: A Nationwide Study of Female Sexuality was another feminist bible that was thrust into her hands by her best friend. “A revelation,” says Manson of the book’s coverage of sexuality. “It changed my life. It made me aware how hidden information about female pleasure was.”
But the eclectic Manson wasn’t just reaching for violent sci-fi and feminist prose. She also has a soft spot for childhood favourites. Her father encouraged both her and her sisters to read by laying out books in their dining room for them to choose from, and Kenneth Grahame’s much beloved The Wind in the Willows was one of her favourites. But in her typically mercurial way, she joked: “Toad and Mole inspired an adventurous spirit in me.”
Check out the full list below.
Shirley Manson’s favourite books:
- Patti Smith – Just Kids
- Kenneth Grahame – The Wind in the Willows
- A.A. Milne – When We Were Very Young
- J.D. Salinger – The Catcher in the Rye
- Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie – We Should All Be Feminists
- Shere Hite – The Hite Report: A Nationwide Study of Female Sexuality
- Iain Banks – The Wasp Factory
