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All The Houses I've Ever Lived In

Finding Home in a System that Fails Us

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All The Houses I've Ever Lived In

By: Kieran Yates
Narrated by: Kieran Yates
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About this listen

 ‘I tore through the pages. A book I’ll read over and over again’ CANDICE CARTY-WILLIAMS, author of Queenie
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We've all had our share of dodgy landlords, mould and awkward house shares. But journalist Kieran Yates has had more than most: by the age of twenty-five she'd lived in twenty different houses across the country, from council estates in London to car showrooms in rural Wales.

In prose that sparkles with humour and warmth, Yates charts the heartbreaks and joys of a life spent navigating the chaos of the housing system. Drawing on interviews with marginalised tenants across the country and the stories behind our interiors, she explores the unexpected ways we can fight back – finding beauty in the wreckage of a broken system, friendships in cramped housing conditions, and home even in the most fragile circumstances.

All the Houses I’ve Ever Lived In is at once a rallying cry for change, a gorgeous coming-of-age story and a love letter to home in all its forms.
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‘Illuminating, thoughtfully written, damning’ OBSERVER

‘I read this in two sittings . . . so incisive it's hard to put down’ PANDORA SYKES

‘A beautiful exposition of home and what it means. Stunning’ BOLU BABALOLA, author of Honey & Spice

‘So relatable . . . injects a glorious dose of love and joy and hope' BIG ISSUE

‘Yates manages the unthinkable: she makes the housing crisis funny’ i Activists House & Home Politics & Activism Poverty & Homelessness Social Sciences Heartfelt

Critic reviews

‘I believe that Kieran Yates was born to write, but crucially, to write this vital piece of work. I tore through the pages . . . A book I’ll read over and over again’ (Candice Carty-Williams, author of 'Queenie')
'A beautiful exposition of home and what it means. Yates infuses such gentle care and humanity into the exploration of race, the failings of society and government … Stunning' (Bolu Babalola, author of 'Love in Colour')
‘I read this in two sittings . . . it’s so incisive it’s hard to put down’ (Pandora Sykes)
'Wholly transportive and informative. With every home visited, you will leave feeling like a welcomed guest, a deeply concerned neighbour or probably both' (Clara Amfo)
'A moving and urgent exposé of the housing crisis' (Laura Bates, founder of the Everyday Sexism Project)
'Intimate and fascinating. Both a memoir and a social commentary of Britain' (Annie Macmanus)
'Warm and funny. A powerful call to action against bad landlords, gentrification and class inequality in Britain' (Symeon Brown, author of 'Get Rich or Lie Trying')
Vital. Everyone should read it (Vicky Spratt, author of 'Tenants')
‘A powerful, personal and intricate tour of our housing system … exposing who it works for and who it doesn’t’ (Bell Ribeiro-Addy MP)
‘Yates writes with clarity, warmth and passion and leaves the reader wanting to march on Whitehall immediately’
(Nikesh Shukla)
‘This book is so special. Kieran writes with a warmth and joy that is so often devoid from discussions based around housing and working class people. [It] manages to have taught me ten million things while also making me fall in love with Kieran and her family - weaving together activism with storytelling in the most gorgeous way’ (Ione Gamble, author of 'Poor Little Sick Girls')
‘Skewers the housing crisis with clear-sighted fury. [Her] warmth and intimacy breathes new life into the horror show statistics. Yates manages the unthinkable: she makes the housing crisis funny, or at least as funny as it can get’
‘So relatable . . . injects a glorious dose of love and joy and hope. This is what is so special about All The Houses I’ve Ever Lived In: the side notes of kindness and community, told with beauty, folded between the pages’
'A clarion call for housing justice and a damning indictment of the policy failures of successive governments. But it is also an invitation to consider more imaginative questions about how we should organise not only our housing, but our lives'
‘Seething with rage. It is also immensely readable, and at times even funny – something I wouldn’t have thought possible’
'This book needs to be pressed into a lot of hands’ (Joel Golby)
All stars
Most relevant
This book is essential reading. It breaks down the myths of home ownership and social housing in the UK, and strikes a perfect balance between fact and personal story. Hearing it read by the author is also brilliant. Highly recommend.

An essential, informative, and personal work

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The book is informative and interesting but the narrator’s voice is very inconsistent with the inflections and the volume. This has meant I’ve had to consistently turn the volume up & down. Really enjoyed the content though.

Good book, annoying narration

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A book that really made me think about housing, health and how we can build a better world

An amazing book

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