Stefan Themerson
The Adventures of Peddy Bottom

The saw-fishes think that Peddy looks like a nightingale, while the cats think he looks like a fish. To Peddy’s extreme annoyance, one cat tries to eat him; so Peddy determines to find the wisest person in the town, to clear up the mystery of who he is.

Thus begins The Adventures of Peddy Bottom: Stefan Themerson’s marvellous little fable of perception and identity. Like Lewis Carroll’s Alice books, this can be read as a story for children, but it works best as a satirical commentary on the foibles of human society.

We are pleased to present this special feature in co-operation with the Themerson Archive.

Lafcadio Hearn
One Hundred Years

26 September 2004 marked the centenary of Lafcadio Hearn’s death. There are a number of events and exhibitions planned to mark the occasion, and we at Nishigawa Kobo are presenting reprints of two of Hearn’s lectures as our own contribution. An introductory essay provides a context for the lectures, and demonstrates how useful they are for a reading of Hearn’s work.

Date posted: 2007-06-01