The Mess We're In: A vivid story of friendship, hedonism and finding your own rhythm

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Set in Kilburn, The Mess We’re In is the story of a young Irish woman, Orla Quinn, as she embarks on her London odyssey with hope and expectation. Orla moves into a room in a house-share with her friend Neema and Neema’s brother, who is part of a band called Shiva. All the other band-mates live in the house also. Neema is a law student with a clear career path ahead of her, with Orla’s sights set on the music industry. Orla writes music, plays guitar and has studied music production. She understands the music but she has no direct experience of the music industry. Living with a band has possibilities for Orla but she needs to bide her time and put in some hard and dirty work.

I try to stop grinning, to fix my face to look more casual at this scene – this pub in Camden, this band that I live with now – as if this is just a typical evening for me instead of the first night out of the rest of my life. Then the barman catches my eye. I lean forwards. I am a Londoner now. I’m a voice in the noise. I’m ready” It’s the turn of the millennium and, landing in London with nothing but her CD collection and demo tape, Orla Quinn moves into a squalid Kilburn house with her best mate and a band called Shiva.

Set in Kilburn, The Mess We’re In is the story of a young Irish woman, Orla Quinn, as she embarks on her London odyssey with hope and expectation. Orla moves into a room in a house-share with her friend Neema and Neema’s brother, who is part of a band called Shiva. All the other band-mates live in the house also. Neema is a law student with a clear career path ahead of her, with Orla’s sights set on the music industry. Orla writes music, plays guitar and has studied music production. She understands the music but she has no direct experience of the music industry. Living with a band has possibilities for Orla but she needs to bide her time and put in some hard and dirty work.

The dialogue in this feels so real, witty and funny that it feels like you’re reading a script from a BAFTA winning telly show. Very touching descriptions of lonely older generation Irish, both women and men who left Ireland and stayed in London. Also, I used to work with old people, a lot of whom were first-gen Irish immigrants who lived in Kilburn and the surrounding areas of London, so some of this really resonated with me.The Mess We’re In by Annie Macmanus published May 11th with Wildfire and is described by Sara Cox as ‘beautifully painted, well set up and realistic’. It is to the author’s credit that she expresses both the extremities and banalities of their recreational drug use and binge drinking without either glamorising or moralising. This clear-eyed encapsulation of the culture is part of what makes Macmanus’s voice feel so fresh – her writing is unpretentious, straight-talking, and authoritative. Those familiar with her radio show, or her fantastic podcast, Changes , will recognise those traits from her broadcasting – honesty and empathy offered up with kindness and wit.

I’m so sad it’s over. I could have read another sixty chapters . . . A fantastic read’ JOANNE MCNALLYI wonder what our little gathering must look like from her perspective: a girl, blushing with pleasure in the corner of a small, steamy restaurant, surrounded by laughing faces. I wonder if I look comfortable in my skin to her. Does she think I belong here?

Terrified about the current volatile state of the western world? Anxiety levels high? Concerned about what is happening (or, for that matter, not happening) to our politics, society, culture? Then perhaps this book is ideal for you… The authors are well respected advocates for social and environmental justice. Active Hope is a thought provoking book that requires engagement from the reader. It's about expanding our view of ourselves and the world. My favorite quote from the book is from Arne Naess who wrote: Do you ever read something and instantly think this needs to be adapted into a series? Because that’s the case with The Mess We’re In! Active Hope is very much like an instruction manual or a workbook. It is laid out methodically and written in simple, clear language. Interspersed throughout the chapters are thought exercises to try either alone or in groups. In a few places are extended narratives from the authors' experiences that illustrate the mental/spiritual journey they are writing about. Although the thought exercises can be done by individuals on their own, the book is really directed toward people who are working with a group on climate activism. After reading numerous books about environmental issues and the climate crisis, I was drawn to Active Hope: How to Face the Mess We're in without Going Crazy, by Joanna Macy and Chris Johnstone.I related to the experience of working in a pub, which I did for most of my teenage years, and how it feels so cosy and time is suspended there, and you find yourself becoming friends with a lot of people you'd never talk to outside.