CHEERIO PUBLISHING presents an exciting trilogy of events in conjunction with the exhibition Pariah Genius: John Deakin, the Psychobiography of a Photographer, being staged at Swedenborg House.

In the second event in the series, join novelist Iain Sinclair and artist Jock McFadyen RA as they reminisce about bohemian Soho, the criminal East End, and the picaresque cast of dropouts, poets, artists and chancers that seem to have all but disappeared from modern London.

A rare opportunity to hear stories from the Colony Room and the streets of Soho from those that were there and remember them, this talk will be chaired by journalist and author Francisco Garcia (We All Go Into the Dark, 2023 and If You Were There, 2017).

Attendees who buy the book will also get a free glass of wine and have the opportunity to have their copies signed.

Pariah Genius will be on sale at the discounted price of £17.50 on the night.

Jock McFadyen. Harry Diamond sleeping, 1988. Gouache, 56 x 75 cm.

Biogs

FRANCISCO GARCIA is a writer and journalist who has written for magazines and newspapers including The Guardian, Financial Times, London Review of Books, VICE and New Statesman.  He is the author of the books If You Were There: Missing People and the Marks They Leave Behind and We All Go into the Dark: The Hunt for Bible John.

JOCK MCFADYEN is an artist who lives and works in London, Edinburgh and France. In 2012 he was elected to the Royal Academy and has staged major exhibitions at places including the Imperial War Museum, London; City Art Centre, Edinburgh; and The Lowry, Salford. Jock’s work is held in 30 public collections around the UK and his publications have featured collaborations with writers including Howard Jacobson, Will Self and Iain Sinclair.

IAIN SINCLAIR is considered one of London’s greatest chroniclers. Iain’s early work consisted mostly of poetry which he published on his own small press, Albion Village Press. His novels include Downriver (winner of the James Tait Black Prize and the Encore Prize) and Dining on Stones (shortlisted for the Ondaatje Prize). Non-fiction books, exploring the myth and matter of London, include Lights Out for the Territory, London Orbital and Ghost Milk: Calling Time on the Grand Project. For the Swedenborg Society he has written Blake’s London: The Topographic Sublime (2011); Swimming to Heaven: The Lost Rivers of London (2013); and (with Brian Catling) Several Clouds Colliding (2012).

About the organizer

CHEERIO PUBLISHING is an eclectic, independent publishing imprint and production company launched in 2020 in association with The Estate of Francis Bacon. They commission innovative books and films that confound received ideas and open the door to new perceptions, aiming to bring unusual books to a mainstream audience. In the spirit of Francis Bacon’s work, CHEERIO are here to intrigue, disturb and thrill. They have published works by Jeremy Deller, DBC Pierre, Ingrid Swenson and Sarah Fletcher, amongst others.