Wednesday 11 Nov
6:30-9pm
Derek Jarman's Kicking the Pricks: The Last of England
with Richard Scott and Declan Wiffen
Originally published in 1987, and out of print for many years, Kicking the Pricks is a key title in Derek Jarman’s cross-disciplinary oeuvre, documenting the making of one of his most important and politically-charged films, The Last of England.
Featuring diary entries, interviews and notes from the script of the film alongside writing about his childhood, his father, the process through which he came to terms with his sexuality, his early work as a painter and designer, and his debut as a film director, it is one of Jarman’s most radical publications.
Reflecting unsparingly on what he saw as the corruption of the cinema industry, the moral and personal consequences of AIDS, and Thatcher’s Britain, it remains all too relevant.
Launching and discussing this new edition from House Sparrow Press will be poet Richard Scott, who has contributed a new suite of found poems to the edition and Jarman scholar Declan Wiffen, whose extensive essay contextualises the work.
Welcoming them and hosting will be Gareth Evans, co-editor of House Sparrow Press.