Self Esteem: A Complicated Woman
Discover the debut book from this year’s London Literature Festival co-curator Rebecca Lucy Taylor – aka Self Esteem – in conversation with Dolly Alderton.
In her extraordinary debut, with her trademark lyricism and razor-sharp wit, Mercury Prize-nominated musician and artist Rebecca Lucy Taylor takes us on a journey through womanhood – whatever the hell that means.
Through the notes, lyrics and biting observational prose for which Taylor has become lauded, A Complicated Woman offers itself up as a subversive anti-Bible for any woman who has ever cracked under the weight of impossible expectation; who has done unto others the damage that has been wrought upon her; and who has discovered deep within herself a resilience that surprised her.
It’s a cathartic scream of a book that gets to the heart of being a woman in the world today, and cements Taylor as one of the most exciting voices of her generation.
As Self Esteem, Rebecca Taylor has given voice to the feelings of insecurity and misogyny-induced frustration whilst emboldening a whole new audience with powerful, truth-telling lyricism. Her second solo album, Prioritise Pleasure, received a raft of award nominations including the Mercury Prize, NME and BRIT Awards, and was crowned the Guardian and Sunday Times Culture’s Album of the Year.
Dolly Alderton is an award-winning author and screenwriter. She has written four Sunday Times best-selling books, including her memoir, Everything I Know About Love, which won a National Book Award for Autobiography of the Year, and novels Ghosts and Good Material.
Need to know
An exclusive box package is available, which includes:
- Hire of a private box (seats up to eight people).
- Use of the Royal Retiring Room, a private lounge with its own toilet facilities, for the duration of the event.
- One free drink per guest on arrival (prosecco, wine, beer or soft drink).
- Dedicated host to take drinks orders throughout the event.
Dolly Alderton
Access
To book tickets for BSL interpretation, email [email protected] or call us on 020 3879 9555.
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For your visit
This event is held at the Royal Festival Hall Southbank Centre
The Royal Festival Hall is open six days a week.
Tuesday – Sunday, 10am – 11pm
Monday, closed.
Plan your visit
The Royal Festival Hall is home to our largest auditorium as well as The Clore Ballroom, National Poetry Library, Members’ Lounge, Festival Bar & Kitchen, Ballroom Cafe and Skylon restaurant.
Getting here
Our address is Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, London, SE1 8XX.
The nearest tube stations to us are Waterloo and Embankment; Waterloo is also the nearest train station. And more than 20 different London bus routes pass within 500 metres of our venues. More information on getting here by rail, road or river is available on our Getting here page.
We’re cash-free
Please note that we’re unable to accept cash payments across our venues.
Access
We’re working hard to remove barriers, so that our facilities and events can be accessible to as many people as possible.
All help points, toilets, performance and exhibition spaces at the Southbank Centre are accessible to all, as are the cafes, bars and restaurants. We also have excellent public transport links with step-free access.
All information about booking wheelchair spaces, step-free access, blue badge parking, access maps and guides and other help available whilst you’re here, including details about our Access Scheme, can be found on our Access page.
Food & drink
On Level 2 of our Royal Festival Hall you can grab a slice of life by the Thames with drinks and freshly made pizza at our Festival Bar & Kitchen which opens out onto our Riverside Terrace. You can grab a coffee and a slice of freshly made cake from our Ballroom Cafe. Or alternatively enjoy destination dining in the restaurant at Skylon.
From coffee to cocktails, filling favourites to fine dining, plus some of London’s best street food – it’s all here at the Southbank Centre.