Psychedelic Press: a decade of British psychedelia

Launching in 2008 as a drug literature review blog by Rob Dickins, Psychedelic Press has brought readers a host of unique insights into psychedelic thought and culture over the years.

While undertaking an MPhil in English, Dickins was researching the relationship between LSD therapy and literature in the 1950s and ’60s, wanting to create a digital, searchable space that brought historical and contemporary texts together. 

“By 2012 interest in psychedelics was really ramping up, and I asked our audience whether they’d be up for a print version – and they were,” said Dickins.

This led to the publication of the first issue of Psychedelic Press in 2012 as a small pamphlet that was handed out for free. 

“As a completely submissions-based publication, the Psychedelic Press journal was always about being a vessel for what was happening in the psychedelic world – what people were researching but also what they were doing,” continued Dickins.

“In this way, it featured festival reviews, trip reports, fiction, history, and scientific articles, and really reflected the amazing intellectual diversity of the psychedelic scene. Big names generously gave us pieces in the early years, like Stan Grof and Rick Strassman, but these were always nestled together with unknowns and trippers – people with something extraordinary to say or who were just beginning their journey.”

Dickins met the rest of the Psychedelic Press team at Europe’s leading psychedelic conference Breaking Convention which launched in 2011.

“Suddenly all the British psy-crew and beyond were brought together. And what an amazing group of people they are,” added Dickins.

“I spoke at the first event and have been involved with helping the organization ever since. BC has always been hugely supportive of the Psychedelic Press. Big love to them. It was through being at Breaking Convention, that I met what became the core Psychedelic Press crew: acid historian Andy Roberts, editor Nikki Wyrd, and philosopher and designer Peter Sjöstedt-Hughes. 

“Nikki initially came on board as a sub-editor, but since issue #20 when I went and undertook my history PhD, she stepped up to be the main journal editor. 

“Peter has been the design wizard behind the journal, and Andy, along with some financial support in our early days, has lent his deep wisdom, writings and editor-at-large skills over the years. 

“An honourable mention also to Ros Stone who has helped with some publicity over the years. As a small group of freelancers it’s been an incredible journey of friendship and co-operation.”

Over the years Psychedelic Press has also been publishing books including novels, essay and poetry collections, histories, tripping guides, pamphlets, science and philosophy monographs. 

“As a micro-publisher, we’re obviously very niche, but we’ve always focused on the extraordinary and the forgotten in psychedelia, with an emphasis on original research and ideas. And 2023 has been no exception,” added Dickins. 

This year Psychedelic Press has published Bicycle Day and Other Psychedelic Essays by Alan Piper and In Search of Smiles: LSD, Operation Julie and Beyond by Andy Roberts. 

Dickins commented: “Alan has been busy beavering away at the modernist pre-history of psychedelia for many years. His lead essay on Bicycle Day is an intriguing deep-dive into the social and cultural context of Albert Hofmann’s famous discovery, looking at Sandoz during the Second World War and Hofmann’s occultic circles. 

“The essay collection goes a long way to reinterpreting psychedelia within a history of transgression.”

Dickins explains that Robert’s In Search of Smiles is a biography of Alston Hughes, aka Smiles, who distributed millions of doses of LSD during the 1970s, and was a key figure in the Microdot Gang. 

“Usually remembered under the police’s operational name, Operation Julie, the Microdot Gang’s activities resulted in one of the largest busts of its kind in history. Smiles’ life however is a fascinating glimpse into drug subculture in late twentieth-century Britain, including his hash smuggling activities, along with being somewhat of a love-note to Llanddewi Brefi, the Welsh village he was operating from.” 

This year, Psychedelic Press is drawing the publishing of its journal to a close. Having just released its penultimate edition, Psychedelic Press Issue 40 will mark the completion of its cycle, says Dickins.

“We all feel that the Psychedelic Press journal has ‘done its thing’, so to speak, and has been a record of the extraordinary psychedelic boom of the last 10 years. Our final issue will be a special edition focused on ‘psychedelics and folklore’ which we’re all really excited about,” Dickins said.

“However, it’s time for new pastures, and we’re returning to our roots by producing more digital content via our Substack. With a combination of articles and book reviews, we hope to continue to chronicle and explore psychedelia, and hopefully to a larger audience.”

To purchase the final issues of Psychedelic Press please visit: psychedelicpress.co.uk/collections/books

Or to subscribe to the Psychedelic Press substack, please visit: psychedelicpress.substack.com