Mervyn Peake in Chichester - two exhibitions (to 17th July) and a conference (15-16 July)

For Peake fans in Sussex, a double-whammy in Chichester (you’ll pass Peake’s burial-place in Burpham on your left before Arundel if you travel by train from Victoria Station in London)

The Bishop Otter Gallery’s (University of Chichester, College Lane, Chichester, West Sussex PO19 6PE) new exhibition, Mervyn Peake: A Centenary Celebration, includes some of the most famous examples of Peake’s fantasy works, nonsense poetry and fiction. Among them are  The Hunting Of The Snark, a nonsense poem written by Lewis Carroll, and illustrations from Peake’s own nonsense work, Rhymes Without Reason, published in 1941. Drawings from another original work of fiction, Mr Pye – a fable about the battle between good and evil – are featured.

Other examples of Peake’s fiction – his first published book, Captain Slaughterboard Drops Anchor and Gormenghast, Peake’s best-selling Gothic fantasy series – are shared with Pallant House Gallery’s concurrent show. Both the Otter Gallery exhibition and the Pallant House show run until 17 July.

The exhibition at the Otter Gallery coincides with an international conference on 15 and 16 July entitled Mervyn Peake and the Fantasy Tradition: A Centenary Conference, hosted by the Sussex Centre for Folklore, Fairytales and Fantasy at the University of Chichester. Professor Gray will also lead a free public tour of the exhibition at the Otter Gallery at 3pm on Thursday, 30 June.

Mervyn Peake: A Centenary Celebration was originated by the Maison d’Ailleurs, Museum of Science Fiction, Utopia and Extraordinary Journeys in Switzerland. It is the first time the pictures have been on display in the UK since the 2009 exhibition ‘Lignes de Fuite’ (‘Lines of Flight’) at the Maison d’Ailleurs.

The Otter Gallery exhibition is open from 9am-5pm, Monday to Friday. Free admission. 

AND: Pallant House Gallery, 9 North Pallant
Chichester, PO19 1TJ.

Mervyn Peake, Our Lady’s Tales, Household Tales by the Brothers Grimm© Mervyn Peake Estate

The creator of the Gormenghast series of Gothic fantasies, Mervyn Peake was an extremely versatile creative force. As a writer, his surreal fiction has been likened to the work of Tolkien; as an illustrator, he brought to life some of the most famous works of fiction for generations of children, including iconic editions of Treasure Island, Alice in Wonderland and Household Tales by the Brothers Grimm.

To mark the centenary of his birth, Pallant House Gallery presents a display of his most famous illustrations and prints. 

Entry details: £4 with National Art Pass (standard entry charge is £7.50)

Opening times
Tuesday to Saturday: 10am – 5pm
Thursday: 10am – 8pm
Sunday/Bank Holidays: 11am – 5pm
Mondays: Closed