A Perverse Library

Mixed-media performance

‘Writing Encounters’, York St. John University, 11-14 September, 2008.

iam with student interns, Josh Cole & Sarah Illing.

Commissioned for a three day conference / symposium at York St. John University, entitled ‘Writing Encounters’, A Perverse Library temporarily co-opted one of the university’s dance studios, which was adjacent to the main conference rooms. Over the course of the conference Simon, Nick, Sarah and Josh turned it into a site for a cumulative and collaborative reading of three book collections: the personal collections of Simon and Nick and the host institute’s library.

To-hand technologies for reproduction were used, like photocopiers, heat printers, laserjet printers etc., and collaboratively the team constantly (re-)built a temporary collage in the spirit of Joe Orton and Kenneth Halliwell’s famous London flat. A reading area with soft furnishings, a dj’able audio archive of conceptual sound poetry, and a book sale table stocked with publications brought by conference delegates were also set up in the room.