This weekend, the Stoke Newington Literary Festival sees a whole load of brilliant events take place in north-east London, with guests including Ray Davies, Lynn Barber and Mark Kermode. What’s more, there’s plenty to amuse graphic novel and cartoon fans as well.
Living and Loving in London: Oscar Zarate & ILYA, Saturday 7th June, 2.30pm, Stoke Newington Library Gallery
With compelling subtlety and sharp observation, two seasoned graphic novelists record and reflect the realities of urban relationships and the longing for belonging. The Park is Oscar Zarate’s first full-length solo fiction and recounts the repercussions and reprisals sparked by an incident involving a dog on his beloved Hampstead Heath. ILYA’s Room For Love captures complex interconnections across age and class divides between a novelist with writer’s block and a teenage runaway. The event will be chaired by Alex Fitch, presenter of Panel Borders on Resonance FM.
For more info and to book tickets, click here.
Steven Appleby in conversation with Martin Rowson, Saturday 7th June, 4pm, Stoke Newington Library Gallery
Guardian cartoonist Steven Appleby talks about his latest book, The Good Inn. Co-written by Pixies frontman Black Francis and writer Josh Frank, it is an illustrated novel about art, conflict and the origins of cinema. He speaks alongside political cartoonist Martin Rowson, whose bitingly satirical work from the era of coalition will be collected into a handsome printed volume by SelfMadeHero in September. They discuss their latest work and their different approaches to cartooning.
Books will be on sale from the wonderful Stoke Newington Book Shop. It will be your first chance to get your hands on The Good Inn, which doesn’t reach shops until next week!
This weekend, King’s College plays host to the Australia and New Zealand Festival of Literature & Arts. The organisers have compiled a diverse and intriguing list of writers, actors, musicians and opinionators, who’ll be speaking at the Strand Campus in central London. Among them will be LF Bollée, author of the graphic novel Terra Australis, a 500-page history of the founding of modern Australia, illustrated by Philippe Nicloux.
LF Bollée takes part in two events tomorrow, Saturday 31st May. Here are the details:
“First Contact: The British Arrival in Australia & New Zealand”, with LF Bollée, Ali Cobby Eckermann, Witi Ihimaera & Bruce Pascoe, 10am-11am, Strand Campus, WC2R 2LS
When the British landed in Australia and New Zealand in the late 18th Century, it was the beginning of a long struggle over ownership and sovereignty with the indigenous people that in different ways continues through to the present day. Discussing this pivotal moment in history, its resonance within the two countries and the way this early period began to shape new national identities are Maori author Witi Ihimaera, journalist and graphic novelist LF Bollée, author Bruce Pascoe and poet Ali Cobby Eckermann.
“Writing as the ‘Other'”, with Ed Hillyer and LF Bollée, chaired by Alex Fitch, Saturday 31st May, 1pm-2pm, Strand Campus, WC2R 2LS
Writing from the perspective of anyone other than your self is always an imaginative leap. Is it more difficult to make when your character is from a culture alien to your own? Ed Hillyer, British author of The Clay Dreaming, and LF Bollée, French author of Terra Australis, discuss post-colonial indigenous representation in novels and comics. Of course, Ed Hillyer also writes as ILYA, and is the author of the SelfMadeHero-published graphic novel Room For Love. This event is chaired by SelfMadeHero favourite and Panel Borders presenter Alex Fitch.
On Saturday 7th June, Pixies frontman Black Francis joins writer Josh Frank and artist Steven Appleby for a unique event to celebrate the publication of their new book, The Good Inn. Hosted by David Quantick, the event takes place at the British Library, 96 Euston Road, NW1 2DB, from 9pm. You can get your hands on tickets here.
The Good Inn, which SelfMadeHero publish in June, is a bold and visually arresting novel about art, conflict and the pioneers of early cinema. The evening includes a screening of two of the early classic French surrealist shorts that inspired the book: Buñuel’s masterpiece, Un Chien Andalou (1929), and Méliès’ ground-breaking A Trip To The Moon (1902), featuring a new score by French musical duo Air. This is followed by an on-stage discussion with Black Francis, Josh Frank and Steven Appleby, who will also sign copies of the book at the event. Authentic Parisian absinthe will be provided on the night by La Fée.
Based on a yet-to-be-written soundtrack to a movie that doesn’t yet exist, The Good Inn weaves together two historical events: the explosion on the battleship Iéna at the French port of Toulon and the making of La Bonne Auberge, the earliest known pornographic film from France, produced by the pioneering Bernard Natan. He is featured in the book alongside Pierre Batcheff, the actor who starred in Un Chien Andalou. Illustrated throughout by Steven Appleby, the novel combines fact and fiction to recreate this lost piece of history. An exhibition of Appleby’s artwork will be on display in the Conference Centre foyer on the night.
The Good Inn coincides with the release of Pixies’ first new album in 23 years, Indie Cindy. Pixies play Field Day festival the following day, Sunday 8th June, in the middle of an extensive world tour. You can watch Black Francis talk about The Good Inn alongside his Pixies bandmates below.
To book tickets for “A Night At The Good Inn”, click here.
It is sixty years exactly since Roger Bannister became the first man to break the four-minute mile barrier, and graphic novelist Paul Collicutt has been paying tribute to his achievement.
Collicutt, who is the author of The Murder Mile, a detective story that unfolds alongside the race to break the four-minute mile, has over the last week been tweeting watercolour portraits of every record-holder in the mile, from Walter George to Roger Bannister.
Athletics Weekly, which this week features profiles of the world’s greatest milers, illustrated by Paul Collicutt, is running a competition to win a copy of The Murder Mile. What’s more, winners will get their hands on a limited edition poster, which features portraits of the world’s greatest runners over the distance.
To enter, visit Athletics Weekly‘s website, and bring with you the answer to this question: Roger Bannister’s immortal 3:59.4 survived as the world record for little over a month, but who broke it and what was his time?
Here’s what the press said of The Murder Mile on its release last year:
“A beautifully illustrated detective story that unfolds alongside the race to break the four-minute mile. The Murder Mile is like Chariots of Fire as rewritten by Raymond Chandler, a mash-up that is completely delightful on the page.” The Guardian
“Collicutt’s watercolour artwork is a glorious tribute to the splashy élan of Fifties advertisements and cigarette cards, and there’s no shortage of impressive scene-setting, from widescreen sequences at the Normandy landings to evocative renderings of Jet Age streets, diners and stadiums.” The Telegraph
“An artistictriumph of suspense placed under the starter’s orders with an introduction by track legend Steve Ovett.” The Sun
You might have seen the news that we’ll be publishing Jörg Tittel and John Aggs’ irreverent satire Ricky Rouse Has A Gun in September (with a limited edition hardback available in June).
Well, now we can reveal the brilliantly bonkers promo video. It tells the story of a lonely Chinese rip-off mascot finding love in London, and it features an original song by UNKLE‘s James Lavelle, curator of this year’s Meltdown at the Southbank Centre.
Set in a knockoff Disney theme park, Ricky Rouse Has a Gun is a relentless action comedy, a satire of US-China relations, and a parody of Western entertainment. It follows the story of Rick Rouse, a US army deserter who takes a job at Fengxian Amusement Park, a family destination heavily “inspired” by Western culture, featuring Rambi (the deer with the red headband), Ratman (the caped crusader with a rat’s tail), Bumbo (small ears, big behind), and other original characters. But when American terrorists take the entire park hostage, only Ricky Rouse can save the day. In a furry costume. This original graphic novel takes a curious look at China – a country that, once we look past its often outrageous copyright infringements, is a culture ripe with innovation and a unique, courageous spirit. The book features an introduction by Christopher Sprigman, Professor of Law at New York University and author of The Knockoff Economy: How Imitation Sparks Innovation.
Find out how to pre-order the limited edition hardback (out 12th June) here.
