Major/Minor

2017 | Art, Photography & Fashion

A vivid and haunting coming of age memoir set in Paris in the 1980s. Originally published to widespread critical acclaim, this luminously honest book chronicles the pain of growing up in an illustrious yet dysfunctional family. Her father was the artist, Avigdor Arikha; her mother the poet, Anne Atik; her godfather, Samuel Beckett. Their apartment, where Alba grew up, was a hub of literary and artistic achievement. Yet Alba found it stifling and her response was to rebel - with devastating consequences. In this deeply personal memoir, Alba's tale is played out against the family memories of war and exile and the ever present echoes of the European holocaust. Beautifully written and featuring black and white illustrations, Major/Minor offers startlingly frank reflections on gender, politics, mental illness and art.

Alba Arikha (Author)