The Ink Trade ― Selected Journalism 1961 - 1993

"The title of journalist is probably very noble, but I lay no real claim to it. I am, I think, a novelist and a musical composer manqué: I make no other pretensions…" —Anthony Burgess. Despite his disingenuous claims, Anthony Burgess was an enormously prolific journalist. During his life he published two substantial collections of journalism, Urgent Copy (1968) and Homage to Qwert Yuiop (1986); a posthumous collection of occasional essays, One Man’s Chorus, was published in 1998. These collections are now out of print, and Burgess’s journalism, a key element of his oeuvre, and an example to a declining modern reviewer, has fallen into neglect. The Ink Trade is a brilliant new selection of his reviews and articles, some savage, some crucial in establishing new writers, new tastes and trends. Between 1959 and his death in 1993 Burgess contributed to newspapers and periodicals around the world, among them the Observer, the Times Literary Supplement, the New York Times, Playboy, and Le Monde. He was provocative, informative, entertaining, extravagant, and always readable. Editor Will Carr presents a wealth of unpublished and uncollected material.

Anthony Burgess (1917-1993) was a novelist, poet, playwright, composer, linguist, translator and critic. He is best known for his novel A Clockwork Orange, but altogether he wrote thirty-three novels, twenty-five works of non-fiction, two volumes of autobiography, three symphonies, more than 250 other musical works. He was also a prolific journalist and wrote thousands of essays, articles and reviews. Burgess was born in Manchester, England and grew up in Harpurhey and Moss Side, and was educated at Xaverian College and Manchester University. Widely regarded as one of the great writers of the twentieth century, his books are still read all over the world. Will Carr is an experienced senior arts manager, working on everything Anthony Burgess in Manchester and beyond. He specializes in artistic programming, writing, editing, audiences, business planning, organizational development, arts policy and fundraising.