Fabric cover art

Fabric

The Hidden History of the Material World

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About this listen

 Victoria Finlay spins us round the globe, weaving stories of our relationship with cloth and completing the trilogy of books which began with her first bestseller Colour: Travels Through the Paintbox.

How is a handmade fabric helping save an ancient forest?
Why is a famous fabric pattern from India best known by the name of a Scottish town?
How is a Chinese dragon robe a diagram of the whole universe?
What is the difference between how the Greek Fates and the Viking Norns used threads to tell our destiny?

In Fabric, bestselling author Victoria Finlay spins us round the globe, weaving stories of our relationship with cloth and asking how and why people through the ages have made it, worn it, invented it and made symbols out of it. And sometimes why they have fought for it.

She beats the inner bark of trees into cloth in Papua New Guinea, fails to handspin cotton in Guatemala, visits tweed weavers at their homes in Harris, and has lessons in patchwork-making in Gee's Bend, Alabama - where in the 1930s, deprived of almost everything they owned, a community of women turned quilting into an art form.

She began her research just after the deaths of both her parents - and entwined in the threads she found her personal story too. The book became her journey through grief and recovery. It is her own patchwork.

'Subtle, compendious and rich ... an emotive and serious work of what you might call history on the distaff side' - James McConnachie, The Sunday Times

'Dazzling ... Finlay's adventures, vividly recounted, make enthralling reading ... This book is equally an inspiration and an education' - Bel Mooney, Daily Mail

'I am wildly impressed by the depth of her research and the stories she finds' - Alexandra Shulman, author of Clothes... And Other Things That Matter

(P)2022 Hodder & Stoughton Limited©2021 Victoria Finlay Art Textile Art
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I loved this book full of excellent research into cloth production and woven in with history, culture and politics. This includes all the usual wool, cotton, silk and also fascinating man-made fibres. Also the author includes her very moving and touching relationships to family -especially her mother who inspired the book and enriches the account too. Highly recommended to anyone who wears cloth.

Wonderful book

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I listened to this whilst sat spinning at my wheel, it’s not just an extremely informative book, but it’s a beautiful book.

Beautiful

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A brilliant book about fabric and it’s crucial role in history, economics and emotion. A strong personal story running through of the author’s parents’ deaths only added resonance. The author’s reading was very good too. Well worth a listen

Excellent

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This book is full of intriguing facts and anecdotes with a touching personal story woven throughout

A fascinating listen

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Cannot recommend this book enough. So much information woven through a personal story. Very moving, factual and engaging.

Textured tale

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