Signed at Pocklington Arts Centre in May 2026
Life's a Gamble: Penetration, The Invisible Girls and Other Stories, by Pauline Murray (Illustrated Hardback)
Life’s a Gamble is the autobiography of iconic singer-songwriter Pauline Murray.
Life's A Gamble recounts her journey from a small mining village in northeast England, through to gaining national recognition as the frontwoman of her band, Penetration, and how she became a key member of the punk movement.
Emerging onto the punk scene at just 18 years old, inspired by an early encounter with the Sex Pistols, Pauline details how she played alongside the leading bands of the era, navigated the demands of the music industry, conquered the post-punk landscape with the Invisible Girls, opened her own music studios, and reformed Penetration in 2001.
Highly illustrated with unseen photographs and drawing upon Pauline’s teenage diaries, interviews and archive material from her personal collection, this book chronicles the life and work of an authentic creative artist and punk rock legend.
'An honest and engaging music memoir' Louder Than War
'Underappreciated female pioneer of punk redresses the balance. A well illustrated, rounded, reflective book. Jon Savage, MOJO, 4****