Michael Joseph to publish Sue Perkins' travel memoir

Michael Joseph is publishing a new travel-inspired memoir from Sue Perkins called East of Croydon: blunderings through India and South East Asia.

Differing from her 2015 autobiography Spectacles (also Michael Joseph), the book follows the comedian, presenter and writer as she travels mostly around Southeast Asia. Notable experiences covered in the book include driving the historic Ho Chi Minh Trail and exploring the tranquil Mekong River, shared as part of a "hilarious and heartfelt adventure".

Michael Joseph bought world rights from Debi Allen at Curtis Brown.

In recent years, Perkins has been the star of a number of BBC travel documentaries, including the four-part BBC2 series "The Mekong River with Sue Perkins", first aired at the end of 2014, in which she embarked on a 3,000-mile journey up the South East Asia's Mekong river, and three-part BBC1 series "The Ganges with Sue Perkins", first aired in October 2017, in which she undertook "an epic, personal journey" to the source of India's Ganges river. However, the book is not a tie-in to the BBC programmes.

Perkins said: "A few years ago I was asked if I'd like to make a documentary on the Mekong River, travelling from the vast delta in Vietnam to the remote and snowy peaks of Tibet. Up until that point, the farthest East I'd been was Torremolinos, in the Costa Del Sol.

"Here's the thing: I am scared of flying. I have zero practical skills. I can't survive if I am more than a three minute walk from a supermarket. For the last seven years I have suffered with crippling anxiety. I bolt when panicked. I cannot bear to witness humans or animals in distress. I have no ability to learn languages. I am a terrible hypochondriac And I am no good with boats ...So I said yes."

East of Croydon will be published on 18th October, £20 hardback.