Trauma Industrial Complex

Brought to you by Penguin.

The new book from the Orwell Prize-Winning author of Poverty Safari and The Social Distance Between Us

Today, trauma permeates media, from music and television to films and books – my own included. While the increasing openness is welcome, I’ve observed that this rise has been accompanied by a parallel explosion of disinformation and sometimes harmful guidance about how to deal with personal trauma.

In Trauma Industrial Complex, I ask the question: How did we get here? And are the stories we’re telling ourselves liberating us or keeping us trapped? In this revealing and deeply personal book, I’ll pull back the curtain, sharing the hard-won wisdom I’ve gained from the events brought on by telling my own story.

Praise for Darren McGarvey:

‘An Orwell for today's poor’ – The Times
‘The standout, authentic voice of a generation’ – Herald
‘McGarvey is a rarity: a working-class writer who has fought to make the middle-class world hear what he has to say’ – Nick Cohen, Guardian

© Darren McGarvey 2025 (P) Penguin Audio 2025