This Is a Message to Persons Unknown: the story of the Poison Girls, with Rich Cross and Sue Cooper (Bella Donna)

About this event

Flesh and blood are what we are, flesh and blood are who we are, our cover is blown …

This Is a Message to Persons Unknown is the first full history of the legendary band Poison Girls. From their first gigs in Brighton in 1977 to years of DIY tours across Britain and Europe, the band forged a radical path through music, politics, and art.

Fronted by the uncompromising Vi Subversa—a singular lyricist, songwriter, and voice—Poison Girls challenged punk’s Year Zero myth, weaving ferocity with wit, emotional depth, and inventive sound. Just as formative to anarcho-punk as Crass, yet defiantly their own, Poison Girls confronted misogyny, ageism, and authoritarianism with a passion and clarity that still resonates.

Drawing on  interviews, zines, contemporary accounts and the personal archives of band members, this illustrated history documents Poison Girls’ unforgettable songs, striking graphics, and fierce campaigns of resistance.

This Is a Message to Persons Unknown tells the story of a group of dissident artists who turned punk into both a protest and a possibility—an experiment in living, creating, and fighting for something new.

Rich Cross is a researcher and writer on British and European protest movements and counter cultural resistance, particularly from the anarchist and libertarian traditions. He has edited the The Hippies Now Wear Black website for well over a decade.

Sue Cooper (aka Bella Donna) was a founder member of Poison Girls, playing bass at the band’s first ever live gig in The Vault club in Brighton in 1977 and many thereafter, and provided the bass tracks for the band’s earliest demo recordings. After leaving the band, Cooper maintained close friendships with the Poison Girls family, and organised and hosted gigs for the band.

Cross will interview Cooper about the band’s formative Brighton days, and Cooper will then interview Cross about the band’s later history and the writing of the book.

Refreshments provided

Book and Ticket price includes the book illustrated – normal retail of £29.99!