Jamie Maslin is a British author, adventurer and

bushcraft Bushcraft is the use and practice of skills, thereby acquiring and developing knowledge and understanding, in order to survive and thrive in a natural environment. Bushcraft skills provide for the basic physiological necessities for human li ...

survival instructor. He is best known for his travel memoirs: ''Iranian Rappers & Persian Porn: A Hitchhiker's Adventures in the New Iran'' (

Skyhorse Publishing Skyhorse Publishing, Inc. is an American independent book publishing company founded in 2006 and headquartered in New York City, with a satellite office in Brattleboro, Vermont. History The current president and publisher is founder Tony Ly ...

, 2009), ''Socialist Dreams & Beauty Queens: A Couchsurfer's Memoir of Venezuela'' (

, 2011), and ''The Long Hitch Home,'' (

, 2015).

Books

Maslin's first book, ''Iranian Rappers & Persian Porn: A Hitchhiker's Adventures in the New Iran'', chronicled his journey

hitchhiking Hitchhiking (also known as thumbing, autostop or hitching) is a means of transportation that is gained by asking individuals, usually strangers, for a ride in their car or other vehicle. The ride is usually, but not always, free. Nomads hav ...

from England to

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkm ...

and subsequent travels around the

Islamic republic The term Islamic republic has been used in different ways. Some Muslim religious leaders have used it as the name for a theoretical form of Islamic theocratic government enforcing sharia, or laws compatible with sharia. The term has also been u ...

. The book was controversial for its portrayal of some of the less than

Islamic Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God (or ''Allah'') as it was revealed to Muhammad, the main ...

aspects of Iranian youth culture, which Maslin both witnessed and participated in. These included getting drunk on surgical spirit (96% ethanol), attending illegal parties where there wasn't a compulsory hejab headscarf in sight, and even viewing hardcore porn films with a group of anti establishment students. As a result, Maslin has been banned from re-entering the country. Maslin's second book, ''Socialist Dreams and Beauty Queens: A Couchsurfer's Memoir of Venezuela'', is part travel memoir, part political thesis. The travelogue details Maslin's experiences using

CouchSurfing CouchSurfing is a hospitality exchange service by which users can request homestays or interact with other people who are interested in travel. It is accessible via a website and mobile app. It uses a subscription business model, and while ...

Venezuela Venezuela (; ), officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, link=no, República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many islands and islets in ...

. Politically, the book explores the policies of Venezuelan president

Hugo Chavez Hugo or HUGO may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Hugo'' (film), a 2011 film directed by Martin Scorsese * Hugo Award, a science fiction and fantasy award named after Hugo Gernsback * Hugo (franchise), a children's media franchise based on a ...

and the impact organisations such as the

International Monetary Fund The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is a major financial agency of the United Nations, and an international financial institution, headquartered in Washington, D.C., consisting of 190 countries. Its stated mission is "working to foster gl ...

and

World Bank The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans and grants to the governments of low- and middle-income countries for the purpose of pursuing capital projects. The World Bank is the collective name for the Inte ...

have had on

and Latin America in general. Maslin's third book, ''The Long Hitch Home'', details an eighteen thousand mile hitchhiking trip he made, travelling over land and sea, from Australia to

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe ...

. The journey took him across three continents and through nineteen countries: Australia,

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...

Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...

Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is b ...

, Laos, China,

Kyrgyzstan Kyrgyzstan,, pronounced or the Kyrgyz Republic, is a landlocked country in Central Asia. Kyrgyzstan is bordered by Kazakhstan to the north, Uzbekistan to the west, Tajikistan to the south, and the People's Republic of China to the ea ...

Kazakhstan Kazakhstan, officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country located mainly in Central Asia and partly in Eastern Europe. It borders Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental coun ...

Azerbaijan Azerbaijan (, ; az, Azərbaycan ), officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, , also sometimes officially called the Azerbaijan Republic is a transcontinental country located at the boundary of Eastern Europe and Western Asia. It is a part of th ...

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to t ...

Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a list of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolia, Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with ...

Bulgaria Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern flank of the Balkans, and is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and North Mac ...

Croatia , image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg , anthem = "Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland") , image_map = , map_caption = , capit ...

Serbia Serbia (, ; Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Basin and the Balkans. It shares land borders with Hung ...

Slovenia Slovenia ( ; sl, Slovenija ), officially the Republic of Slovenia (Slovene: , abbr.: ''RS''), is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Croatia to the southeast, and ...

Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG),, is a country in Central Europe. It is the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany lies between the Baltic and North Sea to the north and the Alps to the sou ...

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan ar ...

, and

. It took Maslin over 800 hitchhiking rides to complete his journey.

Bushcraft

Maslin is a former senior instructor for the British Bushcraft School, and inventor of a new method of creating fire by friction, The Maslin Leg Drill, that enables a person to create fire by friction using only one arm—theoretically making it possible to do with a broken arm.

Publications

* ''Iranian Rappers and Persian Porn,'' published by

in 2009 () * ''Socialist Dreams and Beauty Queens,'' published by

in 2011 () * ''The Long Hitch Home,'' published by

in 2015 ()

Reaction

Maslin's books have received some critical acclaim.

William Blum William Henry Blum (; March 6, 1933 – December 9, 2018) was an American author, critic of United States foreign policy and socialist. He lived in Washington, DC. Early life Blum was born at Beth Moses Hospital (now part of Maimonides Medic ...

wrote approvingly of ''Socialist Dreams & Beauty Queens: A Couchsurfer's Memoir of Venezuela'':

''"Jamie Maslin has put together an exciting mix of progressive politics and adventurous travelogue. Making his way through Venezuela, Maslin visits slums and country clubs, rainforests and Caribbean beaches, while coping with anti-Chavistas and the country's ubiquitous criminals, and learning why Hugo Chávez has so many loyal followers. A welcome antidote to the common mainstream media distortions peddled against Venezuela."''

Commenting on ''Iranian Rappers & Persian Porn: A Hitchhiker's Adventures in the New Iran''

Cindy Sheehan Cindy Lee Sheehan ( Miller; born July 10, 1957) is an American anti-war activist,Geraghty, Jim (2011-05-02)Cindy Sheehan: ‘If you believe the newest death of OBL, you’re stupid.’''National Review''. Retrieved May 2, 2011. whose son, U.S. Arm ...

wrote:

''"In a time where an understanding of different cultures is more important than ever, I’m so glad we have books like Jamie Maslin’s. Both informative and entertaining, Maslin paints a picture of Iran in stark contrast to the caricature one fed to us by the mainstream media. A riveting, off-the-beaten-track tale of adventure and self-discovery that can't fail to provide new insight on a country unfairly demonized in the West."''

In 2009

Simon Van Booy Simon Van Booy (born 1975) is an Anglo-American writer, currently living in the United States. His short story collection, ''Love Begins in Winter'', won the 2009 Frank O'Connor International Short Story Award. Fiction Simon Van Booy has writt ...

described Maslin's writing as:

''"Bill Bryson meets Jack Kerouac."''

In 2011

Daily Kos Daily Kos ( ) is a group blog and internet forum focused on the U.S. Democratic Party and liberal American politics. The site includes glossaries and other content. It is sometimes considered an example of " netroots" activism. Daily Kos w ...

also invoked

Jack Kerouac Jean-Louis Lebris de Kérouac (; March 12, 1922 – October 21, 1969), known as Jack Kerouac, was an American novelist and poet who, alongside William S. Burroughs and Allen Ginsberg, was a pioneer of the Beat Generation. Of French-Canadian anc ...

, commenting that:

''"Jamie Maslin is cool – and he has adventures far beyond anything Jack Kerouac could ever dream of."''

Internet memes

* The Roger Bucklesby Bench Plaque – In the middle of August 2013, Maslin reportedly installed this plaque in a London park to his fictional character Roger Bucklesby – a misanthropic failed author. The bench plaque reads, "In memory of Roger Bucklesby who hated this park, and everyone in it." The image was originally posted on a Twitter account under the description "I was walking through London and came across this bench" and within hours its image went viral, receiving over 2 million views on image sharing website

Imgur Imgur ( , stylized as imgur) is an American online image sharing and image hosting service with a focus on social gossip that was founded by Alan Schaaf in 2009. The service has hosted viral images and meme, particularly those posted on Reddi ...

, thousands of retweets and over half a million likes on Facebook with ten thousand corresponding comments. "We had no plans for this to turn into an internet hit" said Maslin, "we just hoped the occasional passerby would see it and have a giggle. It seems we've done plenty of that."

References

External links

Jamie Maslin author page on Skyhorse Publishing's Website

Kirkus review of Iranian Rappers & Persian Porn

Kirkus review of Socialist Dreams and Beauty Queens

Publishers Weekly review of Iranian Rapper's & Persian Porn

Jamie Maslin interviewed on CNN
* * * * Frost, Roger (2013)
''In Memory of Roger Bucklesby Who Hated This Park and Everyone In It''
Unpublished play manuscript. {{DEFAULTSORT:Maslin, Jamie Year of birth missing (living people) Living people British travel writers