Lorraine Gamman Livres

Shirley Pitts, the eldest of six children was born upside down on 24 November 1934. Her "career" began by thieving bread off doorsteps and coal from coalcarts. Her father's bungled attempts at blackmarketeering and her dipsomaniac mother's inadequacies made Shirley resolve not only to be a first-class thief but also the best mother her six children could wish for.Before she died Shirley told her story to Lorraine - the story of a generous, brave and beautiful woman with a huge sense of fun and a love of life.

In this collection of essays, leading cultural commentators and journalists explore what different media images mean to women and the influence women have had on what we read, hear and see.