The Collected Works of Kevin EG Perry

Have you ever pictured The Rolling Stones as the heroes of their own picaresque novel – the rogueish heroes battling their way through a corrupt and venal society as sketched by Dickens, Thackeray or Henry Fielding? Probably not, to be honest, yet you have to admit the idea of Jagger and Richards cocking a snoot at authority and living on their wits does make a certain amount of sense. It made so much sense to Simon Goddard, author of Ziggyology and Mozipedia, that he’s reimagined the story of the band in Rollaresque, a new novel, complete with sketch illustrations by Mr Chadwick. I spoke to Goddard to find out why he wanted to retell the ‘rakish progress’ of The Rolling Stones…