For the writings and art of Ivor Cutler
New editions of Ivor Cutler’s works are planned; next in line is an edition of Selected Poetry to be published in the Autumn of 2026 – further details to be announced soon.
On 26th September 2022, our inaugural book was published, a new edition of Life in a Scotch Sitting Room, Vol 2. ISBN 978-1915428004. The first edition in 1984 (Methuen) described Life in a Scotch Sitting Room as – ‘a haunting and humorous collection of autobiographical fragments’. The many references to Scotland, and the tokens of Scottish culture (thistles, porridge, kilts etc.) apparently led many to assume the episodes to be an autobiographical account. Ivor had no reason to discourage that belief; on the contrary he played up to it. Life in a Scotch Sitting Room evokes a particular perspective on life, and could aptly be subtitled: the unbearable heaviness of being. The awkwardness, intense embarrassment and shame of self-conscious embodiment within a pressurised and confined family environment; the horror of uncontrollable bodily functions and emotions; the forbidden desires and uncontainable curiosities of children – this is all here – together with the unfathomable and hypocritical rules of the supposedly adult world with its arbitrary and cruel punishments for any transgressions.
The second book published by Hoorgi House is a complete collection of Cutler’s early BBC radio scripts – you may have thought of these as short stories, but they were originally written for radio – previously published in three collections: Gruts (1962), Cock-a-Doodle-Don’t (1966) and Fremsley (1987). The new collection additionally features previously unpublished scripts, discovered in the BBC archives through the diligent research of editor Ian Greaves. Also included – Ivor Cutler’s ‘illustrations’ from the first editions of Gruts and Cock-a-Doodle-Don’t. Date of publication for this book was 2nd June 2023: Gruts, and Other Wireless Menu: Collected Radio Scripts, 1959 -1965, edited by Ian Greaves. ISBN 978-1915428011 This book exemplifies the unique genre of illustrated radio practiced exclusively by Ivor Cutler.
If you have any difficulty finding Ivor Cutler books, please let us know and we will steer you in the direction of a solution : email – contact@hoorgihouse.link Local bookshops may not stock our books, but can order them. If they don’t want to, then Waterstones definitely will.
If you are intending to purchase multiple copies of books for a school or reading group, discounts are available – please get in touch: contact@hoorgihouse.link
FOR BOOKSHOPS: our book distributor is Gardners. However, final remaining copies of earlier poetry editions and children’s books (produced by Ivor Cutler’s previous publishers), are not handled by Gardners. Please contact us directly if you are a bookshop and wish to discuss purchasing this stock: contact@hoorgihouse.link