Two New Reviews of Feral Class.

Marc Garrett

The reception to my forthcoming book has been a profound source of hope. Despite the challenges of connecting in a world that often feels ghastly and controlled by monsters, the remarkable pre-sales success and two new early reviews confirm that people are genuinely interested. This enthusiasm is especially heartening, as the book is not officially released until January 2026.

Two reviews by Josephine Bosma and Simon Poulter.

Recommended reading for anyone interested in inclusive cultural politics in the West: Marc Garret’s personal story of growing up feral class, an even more challenging environment to escape from than the working class. Please read it and compare it to your own childhood memories.

This book moved me more than the highly praised novel I’m currently reading. Class is barely a serious issue in Dutch cultural contexts, but it should be. In my experience, most art institutions hire people from middle-class backgrounds or ‘higher’ backgrounds. People hire people they feel comfortable with, people who use language and gestures they recognise. These hide in often subtle differences, making for barely conscious decision-making. It is how institutions stay elitist rather than critical.

My two cents of institutional critique. 😉 We need more working and feral class people in influential positions. Garret’s book is not about asking for pity. It asks for respect.

Review by Josephine Bosma – https://www.josephinebosma.com/
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I can highly recommend Marc Garrett’s @feralclass publication. The book charts Marc’s upbringing in a working-class family in Southend.

It is written in an intensely deadpan and aphoristic style, often leaving the reader with a sense of horror at what will happen next. It reminded me of one of my favourite books, ‘A Year From Monday’ by John Cage. The short chapters are anchored to Marc’s own artworks, which evoke the highly descriptive scenes that follow. Rather than binding everything together as a conventional autobiography, each annotated piece often ends abruptly; in essence, it builds a more accurate picture of what it is like to live in domestic chaos.

It is also a courageous piece of writing, unvarnished, honest, and reflective of a childhood and youth at the mercy of unfilial figures who come through the household.

The book is all the more remarkable, set against Marc’s own health issues, and the introductory chapter sets the tone by explaining the fight working-class people face when encountering the conceits of middle-class academia.

An excellent read and sharp observation, all in one.

Review by Simon Poulter – https://www.viral.info/

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Feral Class Available at Minor Compositions.
https://www.minorcompositions.info/

A review by Phil Smith. Mytho Massively Recommends Feral Class,
https://marcgarrett.org/2025/10/13/mytho-massively-recommends-feral-class/

Furtherfield Time Capsules and the Feral Class Book Launch.
https://marcgarrett.org/2025/11/27/furtherfield-time-capsules-and-the-feral-classs-book-launch/

A Story from the Feral Class.
https://marcgarrett.org/2025/08/04/feral-class-are-you-serious/

Discover more from FERAL CLASS Marc Garrett

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Published by Marc Garrett

Marc Garrett is co-director and co-founder, with artist Ruth Catlow of the arts collective Furtherfield, beginning on the Internet in 96. Furtherfield has two physical venues, a gallery and a Commons lab, both situated in the park, in Finsbury Park, London. Has curated over 50 contemporary Media Arts exhibitions, projects nationally and internationally. Main editor of the Furtherfield web site. Written for various books and articles about art, technology and social change. Two key Furtherfield publications include co-editing of 'Artists Re:Thinking Games' with Ruth Catlow and Corrado Morgana 2010, and recently on 'Artists Re:thinking the Blockchain' with Ruth Catlow, Nathan Jones and Sam Skinner 2017. Currently in the write up of last year of Phd at the University of London, Birkbeck College. Emerging in the late 80′s from the streets exploring creativity via agit-art tactics. Using unofficial, experimental platforms such as the streets, pirate radio such as the locally popular ‘Savage Yet Tender’ alternative broadcasting 1980′s group, net broadcasts, BBS systems, performance, intervention, events, pamphlets, warehouses and gallery spaces. In the early nineties, was co-sysop (systems operator) with Heath Bunting on Cybercafe BBS with Irational.org. Furtherfield’s mission is to co-create extraordinary art that connects with contemporary audiences providing innovative, engaging and inclusive digital and physical spaces for appreciating and participating in practices in art, technology and social change. As well as finding alternative ways around already dominating hegemonies, thus claiming for ourselves and our peer networks a culturally aware and critical dialogue beyond traditional hierarchical behaviours. Influenced by situationist theory, fluxus, free and open source culture, and processes of self-education and peer learning, in an art, activist and community context.