Satirical artist and very funny woman Miriam Elia shows us her bookshelf

Satirical artist and very funny woman Miriam Elia is something of a pro when it comes to books; last year she self-published We Go to the Gallery, a satirical reinterpretation of a 1960s Ladybird book which seeks to help parents explain sex, death and contemporary art to their young ones, complete with a handy glossary of new words to learn. She’s since co-curated an exhibition about Pastiche, Parody and Piracy at London’s Cob Gallery, while other past works include I Fell in Love With a Conceptual Artist… and It Was TOTALLY MEANINGLESS about her relationship with Martin Creed. Hilarious? Yes. Yes it is. Miriam’s Bookshelf includes lovingly weathered books about typography, photography, flesh-eating plants and Butlins holiday camps, giving a neat insight into her brain.

Julian Rothenstein & Mel Gooding: ABZ: More Alphabets and Other Signs

This is an indispensable guide to letterpress typography. I’ve used this book as a stylistic guideline on countless pieces of work, tracing letterforms of many stunning 1930s and 40s pre-digital typefaces. I once made a concertina book based on a font in here called “Shabby: the story of an alcoholic typeface, whose life was transformed by letterpress.”

Edwin A. Abbott: Flatlands

The two-dimensional world of a geometric square who finds it very difficult to come to terms with a circle in his life. In Edwin A Abbott’s deeply satirical Flatland, two-dimensional shapes deeply dislike three-dimensional objects. Beneath the surreal humour and geometry lesson, this book contains an obvious satirical swipe at the Victorian class system.

John Hindes: Our True Intent is For Your Delight

I’ve spent many years collecting vivid 1960s postcards and paraphernalia. This book is a collection of John Hindes greatest images of the period – mainly of Butlins holiday camps and seaside resorts. There’s something compelling about the use of extreme brightness and contrast in the photographs, reflecting the optimism and hope of post-war Britain. These images are funny, glossy adverts for a time that I’ve always been been fascinated with. 

Walker Evans: Many are Called

I have spent most of my life commuting on the London Underground, is a delicate process which involves both recognising and ignoring people. In the late 1940s, the photographer Walker Evans set out to capture some of the passengers on the New York Subway, catching them off guard and often just staring off into space. I find these images compelling as they manage to capture people from all walks of life, without “posing” or the self-conscious recognition of a camera.

John Wyndham: Day of the Triffids

A post-apocalyptic 1951 novel featuring giant flesh-eating plants. I first read this book after a trip to Kew gardens in 1996, where I became entranced by the beautiful but somewhat aggressive Venus flytrap plants. I tried to make a papier-mâché “giant flesh eating triffid” after reading the book for the third time.