John Peel’s autobiography, Margrave of the Marshes, is being re-released this summer with an introduction by Jack White. Peel was an influential disc jockey and journalist known for his eclectic tastes in music; he was the first to play hip-hop, reggae, and industrial music on British radio, and often got in trouble with the higher-ups for doing so.
The autobiography was only partially completed at the time of his death. The first half is written entirely by Peel, and he barely made it past his teen years. His wife, Sheila Ravenscroft, completed the book using his diaries, press clippings, and notes. The book’s tone, like Peel’s radio broadcasts, is personal and intimate. Though he doesn’t write fully of his career in radio, his memories of childhood are paired with anecdotes from his time in the music industry. His wife’s contributions to the book are equally compelling. She doesn’t write about him as though he were perfect.
Peel started off hosting a late night show called The Perfumed Garden on pirate station Radio London. That was in 1967. After Radio London shut down, BBC radio started a new pop station, Radio 1, and sought recruits from underground radio. Peel started working with Radio 1 a month after Radio London died.
The shift from underground to mainstream radio made Peel more accessible and successful. Even if you’re not familiar with Peel, however, Margrave of the Marshes is a good read.
– Halle Butler
Margrave of the Marshes
Authors: John Peel, Sheila Ravenscroft
Paperback, 432 pages
$19.95, Chicago Review Press
Release: June 1, 2007