Roland Topor - Souvenir

Roland Topor - Souvenir - [Amsterdam] - [Uitgeverij De Harmonie?] - [1975?] - [2nd edition] - [16] pp - Stapled wrappers - 10,5 x 15,5 cm. - Design: Roland Topor.

Condition: Good - without the wrap-around band. According to a note in pen, the booklet was given as a gift for Sinterklaas ('St. Nicolaas / Dec. 1977').

Fluxus artist's book by Roland Topor (1938-1997). All text is crossed out. With table of contents. On the back a blurred photo with a black stripe over the eyes. There should be a belly band around the booklet.

¶ In 1971, publisher Jaco Groot was talking to the artist Roland Topor in a Paris café. The conversation was about unreadable books. "I made such a book," said Topor, "tomorrow, same time, same café, I will bring it." When Groot saw the book the next day, to Topor's astonishment, he said, "We're going to publish that!"

The first edition was published by Thomas Rap publishers. Topor was interviewed by Adriaan van Dis in his book program. Van Dis handed Topor the illegible book and asked him to read a passage. Topor, unprepared for this, spontaneously put his hand over his mouth and began to read aloud, mumbling and unintelligible. Publisher Groot is the only one in the world who knows which text was made unreadable by Topor. - Bieslog (VPRO).