Review: 'Trippers' by William J. Booker

Originally published in 2011 'Trippers' by William T. Booker is based on the author’s adventures around Britain in 1971. Set against the backdrop of travels, acid trips and a haze of cigarette and cannabis smoke, the book explores the role of 'freaks' in early Seventies British society as well as some of the colourful, and darker, characters of the subculture. In many senses a very personal book, but one that paints a vivid picture.

Bill Booker is walking the tight-rope of decisions that is early adulthood in Leicester. Caught between the relentless social push of a steady job, and the yearnings for new experiences and alternative pathways, Bill is a character trapped trying to balance the pressures of life. The book opens with a disintegrating friendship, with a boy named Eric and this really sets the scene for new beginnings, as Bill falls in with a new crowd, who together plan a trip to Weymouth. The book largely centres around the seaside town and their adventures hitch-hiking to and from, and finishes with a party in Leamington Spa, as Bill and his friends explore what it is to be themselves, in light of their culture and LSD experiences.