Andy West teaches philosophy in prisons, discussing questions like, ‘What does freedom really mean?’ with people who are locked up and ‘Is shame a teacher or a tyrant?’ with people who are contemplating their own crimes. His book The Life Inside combines stories from the prison classroom with West’s personal journey to heal from growing up with his dad, brother and uncle in prison.
Andy West is the author of The life Inside: A Memoir of Prison, Family and Philosophy (Picador 2022), which was listed as a Book of the Year in The Irish Times and The I Paper. He has written for The Guardian, Aeon, 3AM Magazine, Huck, The Big Issue, Open Democracy, The Lead, The Times Education Supplement and Bloomsbury. He is philosopher in residence at HMP Brixton.
