The Secret Painter

The Secret Painter is so much more than a sentimental rags to riches yarn. Joe uses his uncle’s extraordinary life to tell a broader story about the way that working-class people in the twentieth century were excluded from art-making. [A] thoughtful, funny book * * The Times * *A timely reminder that art did not originate as an investment opportunity or a get-rich-quick scheme but as a way for human beings to make sense of their lives (plus make them bearable into the bargain). Miracles happen in the most unlikely places – JARVIS COCKERThe Secret Painter is a bracingly northern corrective to the metropolitan hype and verbiage that surrounds so much art. [ … ] Joe Tucker writes with beautiful casualness * * Observer * *This memoir is beautifully written, affectionate, witty and touching … With its idiosyncratic blend of serious purpose and disarming humour, The Secret Painter is a fitting tribute to its subject * * Guardian * *A fascinating one-off biography, which lays out the hypocrisy and snobbery of this country’s “cultural elite” with an enviable lightness of touch [ … ] a book with steel in its heart * * iPaper * *This warm, often funny book, is a real gem * * Daily Mail * *Joe Tucker is a natural storyteller and The Secret Painter is a brilliant, engrossing read. Tucker discovers and uncovers a rich and fascinating tale hidden in his own family. What he finds, and how he acts upon it, will change their world forever, and his book serves as an important reminder to all of us that the great stories in our lives are often closer to us than we think – LEMN SISSAY[A] warm, witty and honest book. [Joe Tucker] approaches his uncle’s life with all the love of a relative, but also the clear-eyed curiosity of a true biographer * * Prospect * *A moving account of how the creative imagination can flourish in the most inhospitable circumstances * * Telegraph * *[A] slim but fascinating portrait * * Financial Times * *

Joe Tucker originally trained as an animation director at the National Film & Television School, where his award-winning graduation film, For the Love of God, was selected for festivals including Cannes and Sundance. He has since worked as a director of music videos and commercials and as a television scriptwriter. With his script writing partner, Lloyd Woolf, he has created and written series for BBC One, BBC Three, Sky and Comedy Central, including the Rose D’Or nominated Witless and the critically-acclaimed Click & Collect.