As London began to close down in March 2020 due to the global pandemic, two friends – the artist David Austen and writer Hisham Matar – began corresponding over WhatsApp. Austen and Matar exchanged a drawing and chapter respectively, which gradually developed into a publication, The Boys: an Adventure, that accompanied an exhibition at Ingleby Gallery, Edinburgh.
The publication is divided into two volumes that form a whole: seventy-three gouache drawings by Austen and Matar’s novella are held together in a kraft slipcase. The design allows the reader to view both books side-by-side, reflecting how the narratives were created. Austen’s artworks are not illustrations for Matar’s words; each is its own and able to be viewed independently or as one. Whilst Austen’s Drawings presents each work as an immersive full-bleed image, Matar’s Words subverts classical typography and layout, taking cues from historic novellas but approached through a contemporary lens. Inside, the spreads are designed to compliment one another to create a combined reading experience.
