It’s out. Shirk, Rest and Play, the second and final book in the Deserter trilogy, is in the bookshops.
They said it couldn’t be done. They said it wouldn’t be done. Well, they said it could be done, but probably not by us, as we’d either be in the pub or on the way to the pub. Which does sound brilliant, to be fair.
But here, following hard in the footsteps of our alt travel bestseller Today South London, Tomorrow South London (2018, Unbound) comes our “Slacker’s Bible”, imploring folk to get more out of life by doing less and filled with ideas on how to steal back your life, one skive at a time. Will it be as popular as the other bible? We’re not sure, but it does have more jokes.
Join old chums Dirty South, the Raider, Roxy, Half-life, Spider and the Corporate Deserter on a philosophical journey as they hurtle from youth to death in 265 pages of textbook messing about, recounting what they have learned along the way. Free yourself from the yokes of regret and disappointment. Learn to live. To love. To loaf!
And we ask for nothing in return. Except for £10.99.
This is an unusual book in so much as many people pledged to buy a copy before it was even published, their names now gracing its pages. We wish to extend our gratitude to every pledger for their generosity. It is your stubborn belief in an idle future that made this book a reality and we salute you.
Thanks go also to Emily Medley, whose illustrations appear in the book, as with the last. This time she has also drawn the cover. Thank you for your art, your patience and for making us look slim.
And thank you to everyone at the publisher, Unbound, as well as our editors Miranda and Richard.
Now, can I shock you? Shirk, Rest and Play isn’t our second book. It’s our first. Think about that for a bit. That’s right, it was conceived, mapped out and even partly written before Today South London rolled off the presses. What does this mean? Fuck all, really, except you read them in the wrong order. Sorry.
Think of it as a prequel. This one a blueprint for the Deserter life, the other a demonstration of that life being lived. Talking of which, if you’ll excuse us, it’s time for a pint.
Image credits: Cover and illustration by Emily Medley; Deserter in the Blythe by Antony Medley.
Shirk, Rest and Play is now available from your local bookshop or online via Bookshop.org.
The authors will be appearing at the Catford Literary Festival on Saturday, October 1st and at Brixton Bookjam on Monday, October 3rd
