Last September, the author Stephen Palmer came to the GSPS Annual Gathering and told us about the book he was busy writing, The Goons Go To Africa. The book is now set to be published later this year.
To celebrate the 75th anniversary of the first Goon Show broadcast, he has released this preview of the Hunt Emerson designed front cover.
In the book, Stephen evokes the trials, losses, victories and success of The Goon Show using its own techniques. He imagines the men of the show, including those, like Jimmy Grafton, Larry Stephens, John Snagge and the irrepressible, remarkable Wallace Greenslade, who both supported Milligan and acted as the framework in which his genius flourished. This is no dry history of great times in radio broadcasting, this is the book of the show.
- The first new book proper on The Goon Show for thirty years.
- Tells the story of the main comic actors in vivid narrative format.
- Follows the entire history of the show and through it interrogates the nature of humour.
- Celebrates the legacy of the show through the use of its unique narrative form.
- Includes the stories of Goon Show associates less well known to the general public.
Watch out for more information and news of the book becoming available in the coming months.
Stephen Palmer is a professionally published author of thirty years, whose work has garnered much acclaim in genre, independent and national press. His books have encompassed SF, Steampunk, and in narrative non-fiction Music and Anthropology. He first discovered The Goon Show in his teens, where they had been lurking for a while. Now a mature adult in his sixties, he likes peace and love, laughter, and Spon. He lives in south Shropshire, but can often be found tramping the woods of north Herefordshire thinking green thoughts.
Stephen’s Amazon Author page
The Goon Show Preservation Society 