First published in 1976, "Babylon On A Thin Wire: Once upon a time in Jamaica" is one of those books everyone should have on their shelves. This essential volume has just been translated into French for the first time.
Ordinary people, artists, scenes of daily life in Kingston or the countryside…: richly illustrated (around a hundred photos) with Adrian Boot's magnificent black-and-white shots (also in colour in a 16-page central section), "Babylon On A Thin Wire" comes with a short text by Michael Thomas, written with a lively pen. It recounts some of the darkest years in Jamaica's history, in the late 1970s, when the country sank into violence and chaos.
The Parisian record shop Patate Records is behind this illustrated bilingual reissue, with an informed translation by Vincent Tarrière. Reissued in 1982, the text had been reworked several times and expanded with a foreword. It is this latest version that served as the basis for the translation.
More info on the site created for the occasion: babylononathinwire.com
A short extract of the translated text can be read on the Éditions Allia website.
Babylon On A Thin Wire – Once upon a time in Jamaica
Michael Thomas, Adrian Boot
Illustrated bilingual edition
Publisher: Patate Records
Format: 220 X 290
144 pages
€30
Available from Patate Records.
Michael Thomas's text alone is also available from Éditions Allia. (€6.20)
Since 21 June, some of Adrian Boot's photos have been on show at Agnès B, in her shop at 13 rue de Marseille, in Paris.