John Harris: ‘Maybe I’m Amazed - A Story of Love and Connection in Ten Songs’

Event information

An honest and intensely moving book about the struggle of being a parent with an autistic child, and the power of connection through a shared love of music.

Journalist and broadcaster John Harris shares the personal, moving story behind his book ‘Maybe I’m Amazed’, exploring love, loss and connection through 10 transformative songs. An intimate afternoon of storytelling, reflection and music.

Long before he became a parent, John Harris obsessively went to gigs, started a band, and pursued a career in music writing. He had no idea he was actually preparing himself for the greatest challenge of his life. When his son James was diagnosed with autism, aged 3, music became their main form of communication, a hugely shared passion and – it is no exaggeration to say – the sound that saved them. In his incredible book, ‘Maybe I’m Amazed’, John describes how the likes of The Beatles, Ian Hunter, Kraftwerk, Funkadelic, The Velvet Underground, Amy Winehouse and more were soon woven into the fabric of James’s life, becoming an essential part of who he is. In this powerful, moving memoir, John takes us through the struggles of raising an autistic child in a prejudiced world, and uncovers a hidden history of neurodivergence and creativity that casts new light on why music speaks so powerfully to the human mind.

Come and join us for an afternoon of chat and live music. To complement John’s talk, we will also have live music from a terrific band, The Johns (“Rock ‘n’ Roll gave birth to triplets and called them The Johns”), who will be performing some of the songs that feature in the book, along with others.

There will be an audience Q&A on conclusion of the interview, and a book signing at the end.