Pete Townshend has announced that he’ll release his debut novel later this year.
It’s titled The Age Of Anxiety and it’ll be published on November 5 via Coronet Books.
Speaking about the novel, the Who guitarist says: “Ten years ago I decided to create a magnum opus that would combine opera, art installation and novel.
“Suddenly here I am with a completed novel ready to publish. I am an avid reader and have really enjoyed writing it. I am also happy to say the majority of the music is composed, ready to be polished up for release and performance. It’s tremendously exciting.”
Publisher Mark Booth adds: “The Age Of Anxiety is a great rock novel, but that is one of the less important things about it. The narrator is a brilliant creation – cultured, witty and unreliable.
“The novel captures the craziness of the music business and displays Pete Townshend’s sly sense of humour and sharp ear for dialogue.
“First conceived as an opera, The Age Of Anxiety deals with mythic and operatic themes including a maze, divine madness and long-lost children. Hallucinations and soundscapes haunt this novel, which on one level is an extended meditation on manic genius and the dark art of creativity.”
The opera is currently in development, while news of the art installation will be revealed in due course.
In January, the Who announced they’d head out on the road later this year on the Moving On! tour, with the dates scheduled in support of a brand new studio album.
