We continue our 2025 author round-up with the inimitable Kirk Field, whose Planes, Trains & Amphetamines is one of our most memorable releases of the year. Kirk’s cultural intake over the past year has been eclectic, irreverent and deeply felt. From audiobooks that cut through the noise to DJ sets that rekindled old magic. Here’s what’s been fuelling him.

What have you been reading this year?

My preferred medium for storytelling is audiobooks; they are direct and uncluttered by poor punctuation and grammar, dyslexia and failing eyesight! I’ve enjoyed Bless Me Father, Kevin Rowland’s unflinchingly honest memoir, Blitz: The Club That Created the 80s by Robert Elms, Trevor Horn’s book Adventures in Modern Recording, and my guilty pleasure is Bill Bryson’s Notes from a Small Island, which is a valuable reminder in conveying the curious from an outsider’s perspective.

I purposely avoid any books about club and rave culture, as I don’t want to be accused of plagiarism or be influenced either consciously or subconsciously. Physical books by my bedside include Sum: Forty Tales of the Afterlife by David Eagleman and Rick Rubin’s enchanted The Creative Act. The latter should be on the National Curriculum, but as it encourages free thinking, it never will be.

Any new favourite films/TV programmes?

I have commitment issues and so miss a lot of series which are recommended to me. I’ll save them for a terminal illness diagnosis or prison sentence. Adolescence was class, but I prefer films.

Any new favourite tracks, records or releases from the year?

My tinnitus is a factor in limiting my exposure to communing with music in the way I used to (on a dancefloor with my eyes closed, or enveloped in headphones, giving it total attention). I’ve recently sold my vinyl as I couldn’t play just one and an hour later I’d be dad-dancing around the room with the volume creeping ever higher.

Have you been listening to any podcasts, audiobooks or radio shows?

I enjoy Chris Hawkins’ How To DJ podcast and was chuffed to be invited on. His questions are incisive with no warning. I probably over-shared, but too many rave podcasts are like cosy chats between DJ mates, so my episode will be a contrast, offering a more authentic experience.

Heard any standout DJ sets or been to memorable parties or events in 2025?

I did my spoken word show at Shindig and really enjoyed it; it’s like Glastonbury without the BBC! Small and perfectly formed, with a community vibe on a lovely rural site. Recommended.

I work in Ibiza and although the hype was all about UNVRS, the magic happened at 528, where Sasha and Digweed rolled back the years and played a show in August, which both declared their favourite Ibiza set.

Have you found any new sources of inspiration or creativity over the last year?

I’ve had some health issues, which made me confront my mortality and acted as a deadline to write and release Planes, Trains & Amphetamines, which Colin helped me achieve. As I wrote, I realised what a fantastic life I’ve led; so many adventures, experiences, laughs and scares.

My primary target readers for my books were my sons. I wanted to address the recreational drugs question and imbue them with a lust for life, whilst showing them that success isn’t measured in material possessions or status, but in experience, discovering yourself through mistakes and accidents, and treating people right. Of course, they still haven’t read Rave New World or Planes, Trains…!

What are your reflections on your book now that it’s out? Has anything surprised you?

I thought hard about the title, aware that the word amphetamine would limit press and marketing channels, but was sure-footed that it would resonate with my readership and reflect the edgy content, which is more graphic than my previous book and pulls no punches.

Velocity was involved in the discussion, but ultimately let me decide to include those scenes in the fetish club and the Privilege roundabout car accident in their full gory, glory. Six months on, it was the right decision… even if Radio 6 Music won’t touch me!

Mind you, I was surprised when the Australian Border Force withheld the shipment for three weeks before declaring it a “biosecurity threat” to Australia! The Limited Edition Extended Mix is a thing of beauty, and finally allowed me to include chapters removed from Rave New World for spurious reasons and can now be read.

Any general reflections on 2025?

We have an authoritarian government who are fuelling division and mistrust, a media that is doing its bidding and a political landscape which is like a seesaw being ridden by unruly teenagers, each attempting to unseat their opposite. Digital ID is not the answer – it is the beginning of the end.

What are you looking forward to in 2026?

Better health, perhaps doing some shows in Australia at Fringe festivals, the solar eclipse in Ibiza and England winning the World Cup!