Liverpool Book Art is curating a third major exhibition of Book Art in 2018. Following the great success of our 2016 ‘Shakespeare Now’ exhibition, we have decided to celebrate a significant literary anniversary by setting a key text as inspiration for 2018’s exhibition. Liverpool Book Art is now inviting submissions from artists who wish to participate. 2018 marks 200 years since the first edition of Mary Shelley’s ‘Frankenstein or, The Modern Prometheus’ was published (on 1st January 1818). This anniversary is the catalyst for our 2018 exhibition.

Frankenstein is a classic work for a variety of reasons. Not only is it arguably the very first work of science fiction, but it is also a core text of Gothic literature (Dracula wasn’t published until nearly 80 years later!).

Its themes of ambition and hubris, ethics and morality, responsibility for the consequence of one’s actions, free will and empathy have been important since the book was first published. Today, they appear hugely relevant, whether considering genetic manipulation and synthetic biology, artificial intelligence and machine learning, or Silicon Valley’s ‘disruptive technologies’. This is reflected in a new edition published this year by MIT Press ‘annotated for scientists, engineers, and creators of all kinds’, as well as in recent television series such as Humans. We are therefore tremendously excited about the range of possibilities Frankenstein offers as an inspiration for book artists. We want the exhibition to celebrate excellence and creativity, and to increase interest and appreciation of artists’ books. While of course we won’t exclude depictions of Frankenstein’s ‘monster’, we would be greatly disappointed if the majority of submissions selected only such an exclusive focus!
This year there is a £10 submission fee: please see FAQs for details

Liverpool Book Art’s long-standing collaboration with Liverpool Central Library continues in 2018. The exhibition will open there in May in the magnificent Hornby room, and run until mid-August. For 2018, Liverpool Book Art is also working in partnership with the adjacent borough of Knowsley. Knowsley Council’s Kirkby Gallery will host the exhibition from September, and the Council (KMBC) is providing major support including marketing resources for this joint exhibition. KMBC and Liverpool Book Art will also be exploring touring the exhibition to other parts of the country.

Previous Liverpool Artists’ Book Exhibitions have been a great success, attracting international submissions of the highest quality, with works from Japan, Australia, Russia, USA, and across Europe and the UK. We are open to, and encourage, submissions from across the diverse range of book art.