Greetings from Bury Park

Sarfraz Manzoor was two years old when, in 1974, he emigrated from Pakistan to Britain with his mother, brother, and sister. Sarfraz spent his teenage years in a constant battle, trying to reconcile being both British and Muslim, trying to fit in at school and at home. But it was when his best friend introduced him to the music of Bruce Springsteen that his life changed completely. From the age of sixteen on, after the moment he heard the harmonica and opening lines to "The River," Springsteen became his personal muse, a lens through which he was able to view the rest of his life. Both a tribute to Springsteen and a story of personal discovery,Greetings from Bury Parkis a warm, irreverent, and exceptionally perceptive memoir about how music transcends religion and race.

Sarfraz Manzoor is a writer and broadcast journalist. He is a writer for The Guardian but his journalism has also appeared in publications as diverse as the Daily Mail, The Independent, The Observer, Uncut, The Spectator, Prospect and The New Statesman. His television credits include "The Great British Asian Invasion" and "Death of a Porn Star" both for Channel 4. He is a familiar voice on BBC Radio with documentaries on Radio 4, "Up All Night" on radio 5 Live, and regular contributions to Radio 4's "Saturday Review" and Newsnight Review. Prior to his broadcasting career Sarfraz Manzoor was a deputy commissioning editor at Channel 4, which he joined after 5 years as producer and reporter on Channel 4 News. Find him online at www.sarfrazmanzoor.co.uk