PLEASE NOTE: The appeal for the Joe Orton Statue has now closed. We have a limited number of prints left which can still be attained by donating £500 to the appeal. Please email Dr Emma Parker on ep27@leicester.ac.uk for details. As the funding goal for the statue has been reached, any further funds received will be spent on Orton-related arts projects in Leicester. Between 1959 and 1962, Orton and his partner Kenneth Halliwell expressed their disdain for mainstream society by playfully redesigning the covers of books stolen from Hampstead and Islington public libraries. After returning the books, the couple would amuse themselves by watching the shocked reaction of unsuspecting readers to the ‘absurd or mildly obscene’ artwork that they pasted onto dustjackets. In 1962, Joe Orton and Kenneth Halliwell were sentenced to six months in prison for theft and ‘malicious damage’ after they doctored the covers of seventy-two books belonging to Islington Public Library, rendering them comic or absurd. Initially decried as an act of vandalism by the authorities, Orton and Halliwell’s redesigned dustjackets later came to be seen as an amusing prank and playful protest against conservatism. Today their collages are recognised as an act of artistic creation rather than destruction, one that anticipates the central themes of Orton’s plays, particularly his satire on social and sexual norms. Limited edition prints The Estate of Joe Orton has released a limited print edition of 3 Joe Orton & Kenneth Halliwell ‘defaced’ library book covers: The Secret of Chimneys, Queen’s Favourite & Collins Guide to Roses. The prints have been remasterered by Christian Furr and come signed by Leonie Orton, Head of the Estate and Christian Furr, are stamped with the Orton Estate seal and supplied with a numbered Proof of Authenticity card. Collins Guide to Roses Queen’s Favourite The Secret of Chimneys Deckled edge prints on Somerset 320gsm paper, 78×56 cm (image 65x44cm)Unframed.Editions of 100 They are available for a pledge of £500 (per print) to the Joe Orton Statue appeal before 30 Nov. Pledge at links below stating which print you wish to receive and please email Emma Parker at campaign headquarters to confirm arrangements: ep27@le.ac.uk https://www.spacehive.com/joe-orton-statue-appeal This is an opportunity to acquire a collectable artwork and support the campaign to fund a statue of literature legend Joe Orton in his home town, Leicester. PLEASE NOTE: The appeal for the Joe Orton Statue has now closed. We have a limited number of prints left which can still be attained by donating £500 to the appeal. Please email Dr Emma Parker on ep27@leicester.ac.uk for details. As the funding goal for the statue has been reached, any further funds received will be spent on Orton-related arts projects in Leicester.