Interview with Celeste Bell, Author of DAY GLO: THE POLY STYRENE STORY

Celeste Bell’s first book was co-authored by Zoë Howe and published by Omnibus Press in March 2019. ​ Poly Styrene was many things: a pop star, a punk, a songwriter, a single mother, a woman of color, a Hare Krishna convert and an artist, but she is best known as the singer of X-Ray Spex. For the first time ever Poly’s daughter, Celeste Bell, and Zoe Howe are sharing Poly’s creative work from her archives. Ranging from the flyers and early design drafts for X-Ray Spex, to her later visual art and lyrics, Dayglo is the definitive statement on Poly Styrene as an artist.

We were lucky enough to chat with Celeste about the book and her experience writing it. Enjoy!

RUD: You are a singer like your mother, so what made you interested in producing a book?

Bell: I do sing, but I am also a writer of sorts so writing a book was something I was always interested in doing. My mother had wanted to publish her diary entries but never expected to be taken from us so soon. So I decided to combine her diary entries, artwork and other elements in a book which would end up taking on a more biographical form later on.

RUD: In Zoe’s intro to the book she speaks of a documentary that spawned from the legwork of putting the book together. What’s it like being a producer on a film?

Bell: I am actually co-director now! It has been a really exciting yet hugely challenging undertaking to make a film and we are about half-way there. We have actually launched a Patreon campaign, so people can become Patrons of the film to help us finish it.

RUD: Were you surprised that the crowdfunding for the film was a success?

Bell: I was pleasantly surprised but I knew already how much love there is out there for my mother and her music. She is the type of artist that inspires true passion and love and the positive response to the crowdfunding campaign further demonstrated this to me. I am so touched and grateful that people want to support us to make this film out of their love for my mother.

RUD: Any estimates on when the film will be ready for film festivals?

Bell: If we can get the support we need to finish the film then we hope to have it ready for festivals late 2020/early 2021.

RUD: How will the film differ from or complement the book?

Bell: The film will both complement and expand on the book – by filming in many of the locations globally that were significant in my mother’s life journey. By incorporating original archive footage with some animation we are going to visually bring to life the story we have told with words and pictures in the book.

RUD: The archives you inherited, how much stuff was there exactly? How much of it ended up in the book?

Bell: The archive is pretty extensive, we included a lot of it in the book but there is much more. This is one of the reasons I have decided to exhibit the archive, which will hopefully tour the U.S in 2020!

RUD: What do you hope people get out of the book (and film)?

Bell: I hope that people will learn that my mother was a hugely significant cultural figure whose legacy has been sorely neglected and that she was also a human being who suffered and struggled greatly in her life. I hope that she can inspire the next generation of fierce, independent rebels to do their thing and not apologize for being who they are.

RUD: Thank you Celeste! Fantastic work, and much success on your future endeavors!