Explore the life and work of Anthony Burgess in this special gathering at the author’s archive in Manchester. Burgess was a prolific novelist, composer, journalist and playwright. He grew up above a pub in Manchester, then travelled the world as a solider and teacher before publishing his first novel at the age of 39. He was a larger-than-life character, his reputation boosted by regular TV appearances and reactions to his famous novel, A Clockwork Orange.

The archive at the International Anthony Burgess Foundation tells the story of a writer who never stopped working, despite illness and controversy. As he writes in his autobiography Little Wilson and Big God, ‘Wedged as we are between two eternities of idleness, there is no excuse for being idle now.’

The Foundation holds manuscripts, photographs, typewriters, vinyl records, notebooks, wine bottles, pianos, a bust of his head, and a seemingly endless collection of literary and artistic paraphernalia. Come and be surprised.

We are offering two ‘Unboxing Anthony Burgess’ events in the current series. Each event is themed according to its date.

📦 Tuesday 23 April 2024 is the birthday of Burgess’s literary hero, Shakespeare.

📦 Saturday 22 June 2024 falls in the same week as Bloomsday, a day celebrating the works of his other artistic hero, James Joyce.

The events start at 1pm. Tickets are free, but numbers for each event are limited, to allow close-up access to our artefacts. Therefore booking is essential.