‘From Albion To Shangri-La’: Peter Doherty’s New Book

FROM ALBION TO SHANGRI-LA

Peter Doherty’s Journals & Tour Diaries 2008 – 2013,

Transcribed and edited by Nina Antonia

A pocket book for the wanderer & flâneur

With original illustrations by Peter Doherty.

Publication date: 1 July 2014

Best known as a musician, Peter Doherty has been in the writing habit for most of his life and his first book, The Books of Albion, was published in 2007. Since then, Doherty kept an anarchic catalogue of his life, his times and the antics of his vagabond celebrity entourage. As a collection, it is part stream of consciousness and part commentary charting his state of mind during a seven year period as erstwhile frontman, songwriter and lyricist of Babyshambles – the creative vehicle for the bumpy road of his post-Libertines career.

From Albion to Shangri-La is an unapologetic account by the misfiring romantic poet in full flow during the stuttering fame of his hedonistic, celebrity-fuelled lifestyle. This collection of uncensored words, accounts, thoughts and sub-conscious reflections from Doherty follows in the tradition of dangerous books by the likes of William Burroughs, Charles Bukowski, Alex Trocchi… all hailed now as great writers, yet back in the day their early titles courted an atmosphere of disapproval. Who would have thought accounts of junkies, thieves, sparring lovers and the forbidden rituals of a city would become a defining literary expression of a social era? The contents of Doherty’s journals have much in common with these works: the ebb and flow of consciousness; the (often narcotic) dream states and confessional meanderings; the incisive analytical observation; the vivid sex scenes; the beautiful prose-poetry; and last, but not least the alarming misadventures of an artist in full confession.

From Albion to Shangri-La is an important book for anyone from the post-Nirvana, Generation X Factor decade who dreamt of celebrity and fame but were too frightened or sensible to pursue it. Peter Doherty and his contemporaries (like Amy Winehouse and Peaches Geldof who are both free-styling contributors to the book) epitomised the nihilism of the noughties. It captures the filth and the fury as well as the poetry and the pathos.

From Albion to Shangri-Laby Peter Doherty, transcribed and edited by Nina Antonia, with original illustrations by Peter Doherty.

You can buy a copy at the special Thin Man price of just £10 (RRP £14.99) + p&p here

Buy the book on Kindle (with special illustrated supplement) here

ISBN 978-0-9562473-9-1
Paperback, 5.5 X 8.5 inches, 256 pages, RRP £14.99: available on Amazon and from all good book shops.
Kindle, i-book and all available e-book formats book £9.99. The e-book contains a supplementary illustrated section of artwork from the journals.