What Thin Man Got Up To In June

Most of June was dominated by an exciting new project – Peter Doherty’s new book, From Albion To Shangri-La. Thin Man had met up with rock writer, Nina Antonia (author of the definitive New York Dolls & Johnny Thunders biographies), about another project in May – re-issuing her well-respected study of the Only Ones front man Peter Perrett, Homme Fatale. And we still hope to get that out in the next few months…

Anyway, Thin Man was fascinated to discover, in a parkland cafe, that Antonia was Peter Doherty’s ‘Literary Agent’ and ‘custodian of his most recent journals’. Antonia described the kind of book that Peter wanted – a pocket book, the kind of book a Parisian flaneur might tuck in a baggy jacket pocket whilst wandering the streets, a quirky, beautifully produced, boutique publication. Just like a Thin Man book in fact!!!!

We got down to work. Nina Antonia had already transcribed the texts from Peter’s hand-written, doodled-upon & often blood-bespattered journals – these tomes are in themselves a fascinating collection of old notebooks, some of them large and hard-backed, often decorated with drawings or gig passes, tickets, memory-jerking trifles. The perky little self-portrait that had to be the book cover, was found inside a buff, French, school notebook.

Incredibly, just three weeks later, we had the first proof copy. Barcelona-based designer Guille Mendia had done a fabulous job on the cover and it was looking good to go.

Thin Man took the book to the big boys of the music publishing world, Omnibus, whose Music Sales arm has global distribution reach. A swift meeting with their Managing Editor, David Barraclough, sealed the deal and ‘From Albion to Shangri-La’ was destined for the shelves of all the top bookshops in Albion and beyond.

With the Libertines reforming for a gig in Hyde Park on 5th July, the timing for this book is looking good.

July will see the release of A.A. Walker’s fabulous rock’n’roll, erotic, hallucinogenic prose poem, ‘Licentia’ looking good in a smooth purple jacket. Watch out for gigs and events – Walker is a great performer.

And talking of great performers, it’s hard to better John Constable’s riveting delivery of his prose and poems at the May 14 launch of his ‘Spark in The Dark’ collection. There will be more gigs and performances by this urban shaman in July and August. Details to follow.