All That Glitters is Orlando Whitfield’s sharp, unsettling memoir of his years working inside the contemporary art world — a place he portrays as dazzling, absurd, and quietly corrosive. Beginning as a young gallery assistant full of enthusiasm, Whitfield is gradually drawn into a culture driven by money, status, and manipulation, where relationships are transactional and authenticity is rare.
At the centre of the book is his complicated friendship with a charismatic art dealer whose charm masks a pattern of exploitation and deceit. As Whitfield becomes more entangled in this world, he begins to see how easily ideals can be compromised and how the industry’s glamour often hides moral emptiness. Both personal and observational, the memoir exposes the pressures, illusions, and ethical grey zones of a market that thrives on spectacle. It’s a story about ambition, loyalty, and the cost of looking the other way — and about what happens when the shine finally wears off.
Marks out of 10 between 8 & 9.5 so highly rated.
Words used to describe it: facinating, interesting, intreguing, droll rose, eye opening, illuminating.
Next book
Tender is the Night Scott F Fitzgerald
Next meeting
26th March at Naila's
