Head of Zeus hosts launch event celebrating Okri's new books

Head of Zeus held an event celebrating the publication of two of Ben Okri’s books at the White Cube in Mason’s Yard, London, on Thursday 13th July.

An evening of music, interviews, readings, art and performance marked the publication of Tiger Work: a collection of stories, poems and essays about climate change, as well as the paperback publication of Okri’s The Last Gift of the Master Artists.

The evening began with a reading by actor and author Paterson Joseph, who performed the first two chapters of The Last Gift of the Master Artists, preceded by a short introduction by Dan Groenewald, sales and marketing director at Head of Zeus. The events were held among the backdrop of large paintings by Cinga Samson, whose work was being exhibited at the gallery.

In his introduction, Groenewald said: "It’s a huge honour to get to work with Ben, he’s a man who can change the course of things, and can change the course of people’s lives, as he did mine."

Joseph’s reading was followed by a conversation between Booker Prize-winner Okri and the White Cube’s founder, art dealer and gallerist Jay Jopling, in which they discussed literature, art and the themes that Okri’s writing explores.

Introducing Okri and his books, Jopling said: "The Last Gift of the Master Artists is an extraordinary work of art, and it’s much more than a piece of fiction; it’s an urgent and important testament of our times, touching on history, and weaving a tapestry about slavery and the loss of innocence.

"And somehow, it touches on so many other things. I read the book slowly, as is always the instruction at the beginning of all of Ben’s books: read slowly." 

On The Last Gift of the Master Artist, Okri added: "I wanted to tell a story about Africa, about certain parts of Nigeria, just before the slave trade. I was fascinated by the pressure of events backwards; something is coming, the first world war, the second world war, something big is coming.

"Climate crisis is huge, it’s right there, coming towards us, drifting towards us like vast mist at night. And I’m fascinated about how people live knowing that a great historical tragedy is drifting towards you, and that we are moving towards it in a kind of unknowing. And I was fascinated by the condition of grace that proceeds great tragedy." 

The conversation was followed by performances in the gallery, as well as music. Okri’s books were being sold by indie bookshop BookBar at the event.