The Day Goes By's Page

I have written a children’s book about a day in the life of Syd Barrett. The story combines the whimsy that was ever-present in Syd’s songs, as well as the struggle that comes from having too many possibilities from which to choose; a situation that both children and adults can relate to.

I wrote/illustrated the story as part of a course in my degree program during college. Upon completion of the project, I submitted the completed book to Syd’s sister, Rosemary Breen, to seek her approval for publishing. I suggested that a portion of the proceeds from book sales be used to benefit the charitable organization Escape Artists, who have been running arts projects that improve standards of mental wellbeing for over a decade. After Syd passed away in July 2006, Rosemary set up the Syd Barrett Fund with profits from Syd’s estate to raise money for the organization. Rosemary loved the book and she is supportive of getting it published. She has spoken in interviews about her brother’s own fascination with children’s stories and fantasy, and believes this book would be a wonderful way of honouring his memory.

When I met with the fundraising and marketing managers at Escape Artists regarding the project, upon reading the book they were confident that it would sell extremely well with Syd’s fans, with whom they have a strong link. My book has already received coverage in Mojo and the Italian Pink Floyd magazine Hey You, and both I and Escape Artists are actively seeking a publisher interested in supporting this project.