From Sherlock to The Shire – Renowned Artist Joins Great Lives Line Up

A renowned textual artist and designer known for his work designing coins for the Royal Mint will visit Lincoln later this month in a change to the recently announced Great Lives Autumn line up.

Manchester based Stephen Raw will replace political satirist and illustrator Gerald Scarfe who is no longer able to deliver his scheduled talk on Friday 22nd November.

Stephen’s career has spanned over four decades, taking him from London to Papua New Guinea, across Europe and the United States. His work is inspired by his passion for language and the visual representation of letters, which has led to collaborations with the former Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy as well as commissions for the British Academy and the Royal Mint.

Some of Stephen’s most notable work includes a £2 coin to commemorate the 100 year anniversary of the end of WWI as well as a collectable 50 pence piece depicting Sherlock Holmes to mark the 160th anniversary of author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s birth. In the 1990’s he was commissioned by publisher Harper Collins to reproduce maps from JRR Tolkien’s fantasy series The Lord of the Ring.  The reproductions were created under the instruction of Tolkien’s son Christopher, who originally drew the maps of Middle Earth.

Stephen, who is currently the artist in residence at Manchester Cathedral, will offer insights into his career as well as taking part in a question and answer session.

The talk will take place on Friday 22nd November in the Isaac Newton Lecture Theatre on the Brayford Pool Campus. The talk is free to attend but booking is recommended. For more information or to book your ticket, visit: https://www.lincoln.ac.uk/home/studentlife/whatson/events/great-lives-stephen-raw.html.  Tickets previously booked for Gerald Scarfe will still be valid for admission.