Throughout August and September the Burgess Foundation exhibition space will be home to material from Savoy Books’ vast and often controversial archive. Curated by writer and publisher Michael Butterworth and the Exhibition Centre for the Life and Use of Books, The Use and Abuse of Books exhibition spans Butterworth’s career from New Worlds, Corridor, banned publications, police raids and David Britton’s imprisonment with Savoy, through to his most recent art and writing journal Corridor8.

Featuring text, images and rare promotional content from Savoy’s infamous 1989 publication Lord Horror, the exhibition tackles the question of whether the depiction and description of horrific acts is justified in satire. In 1992 Lord Horror was declared by Judge Gerrard Humphries as ‘a glorification of racism and violence’ whereas writer Michael Moorcock believed the book to belong to ‘a tradition of lampoon, of exaggeration. Its purpose is to show up social evils, and the evils within ourselves.’

Displaying artwork from Sinister Legends and Meng and Ecker alongside other panels from rare comics and graphic novels (including Reverbstorm), The Use and Abuse of Books also examines the relationship between text and imagery within Savoy’s publications, revealing how artwork from John Coulthart, Kris Guidio and James Cawthorn supplements and enhances the storytelling through visual references to architecture, cultural figures or specific works of art.

The exhibition will be open 10am-4pm weekdays and in the evenings during events from Friday 15^th August until Friday 19^th September. 

A series of events, including a screening of seven short films commissioned from artists and collectives in response to the seven Corridor zines published between 1971 and 1976, will take place during the exhibition. Check out www.lifeanduseofbooks.org /@ECLUB, www.anthonyburgess.org/@misterenderby or contact events@anthonyburgess.org to find out more.