Visual and / or textual representations of Romanies / Gypsies in the UK have a tendency toposition or trap what they represent at one side or the other of a romantic / derogatory dichotomy. However, even these supposedly static representations have changed over time andin relation to geographical location, and historical and socio-political discourse. In recent times, the derogatory side of the dichotomy has become increasingly dominant, while romanticised representations have become literally relegated to the past, or, more accurately, an imagined past. In this paper, I will argue that these romanticised representations are not really about the past, but about the present of the prospective consumer / reader. This can be seen in the marketing of Romani / Gypsy life stories. In this presentation, I will analyse the paratextual construction of two Romani / Gypsy life stories and argue that their respective constructions are partly directed towards consumers whose lives are negatively affected by contemporary socio-economic and social instabilities – a form of escapism caused by the pressures of everyday life. The analysis will also argue that the paratextual construction is an expression of imperial nostalgia (Boym), which infers a yearning for what has been destroyed – a contemporary expression of the perceived success of a civilizing process.