London Interzone: Burroughs & Beats Rewired
Today and Tomorrow (September 4-5) at The Horse Hospital, London
Today, September 4, the renowned Horse Hospital in Bloomsbury, London, hosts an unmissable event for all fans of William S. Burroughs and the Beat Generation: London Interzone – Burroughs & Beats Rewired.
Organised by the European Beat Studies Network (EBSN) https://ebsn.eu/ in partnership with The Horse Hospital, this three-day event (September 4-6) is a “convergence of radical theory and sound”, exploring the enduring impact of Burroughs’ work and the Beat Generation, with London as a primary historical and contemporary nexus for the American avant-garde.
The event is notably interdisciplinary, blending scholarship, art, and performance in a collaborative atmosphere that traverses the history of 1960s multicultural and countercultural London.
—
Academic and Literary Programme
Today’s and tomorrow’s programme is exceptionally rich, featuring distinguished scholars, writers, artists, and musicians:
– Main conversation with Iain Sinclair (writer and psychogeographer), Barry Miles (legendary cultural historian), and Oliver Harris (renowned Burroughs scholar), who will discuss Burroughs’ relationship with London.
– Keynote speakers:
– Today (Friday): Oliver Harris.
– Tomorrow (Saturday): Thomas Antonic (author of The Three Wives of Queer William S. Burroughs) and Allen Fisher (poet, artist, and performer, a central figure of the London innovative poetry scene of the 1960s and 1970s).
– Roundtables and panels on themes such as “Electronic Re-evolution” (Friday) and “No Coincidences” (Saturday), featuring scholars like Rob Jones, Edward Robinson, James Riley, Florian Zappe, Claire Cassady, Oliver Ray, and Ian MacFadyen.
– Performances and talks by numerous other artists and writers, including Phil Baker, Joseph Darlington, Symantha Jones, and Jack Sargeant.
—
The Soundtrack of Interzone: Electronics, Experimentation, and Performance
The event is not just an academic conference but a true “convergence of radical theory and sound”, featuring some of the most important names in the international electronic and experimental scene.
Friday, September 4: Scanner, Adi Newton, and Unreleased Burroughs Recordings
Friday evening kicks off with the “Burroughs Art Sound” panel, featuring:
– Scanner (Robin Rimbaud), an icon of experimental electronic music known for his “found sound” approach, transforming everyday audio fragments into immersive soundscapes.
– Adi Newton (founder of Clock DVA), a leading figure in the industrial and experimental scene.
– Jill Westwood and Graham Duff.
The evening continues with exclusive performances: Scanner will perform a live manipulation of rare and unreleased William S. Burroughs recordings, while musician Oliver Ray (ex-Patti Smith Group) will perform alongside poet and performer No Land. Director Aaron Brookner will also present clips from his documentary Nova ’78, about the legendary 1978 Nova Convention.
Saturday, September 5: The Anti-Group (TAG) and the Nova Ghost Transmission
The musical highlight of Saturday is the performance by The Anti-Group (TAG), the experimental audio-visual project of Adi Newton. On this special occasion, TAG features Newton alongside Stephen Mallinder, co-founder of Cabaret Voltaire and a long-time Burroughs advocate. Together, they will radically re-render the cut-up and the “third mind” projections of Gysin and Burroughs in an audio-visual set designed to enhance Alpha levels, inspired by the research of Dr. W. Grey Walters that influenced the Dreamachine.
Also on Saturday, don’t miss the “Nova Ghost Transmission” : John Gosling (Zos Kia/Psychic TV), Isabel de Jour (Jiz), and Jill Westwood (Fistfuck) will unite in a rare live collaboration to construct an unstable audio-visual performance, cutting, splicing, looping, and degrading film, sound, and image. The evening will also feature readings from Burroughs’ work by Graham Duff.
—
### Practical Information
– Dates: September 4-5, 2026 (the event continues on September 6)
– Venue: The Horse Hospital, Colonnade, Bloomsbury, London WC1N 1JD
– Door opening time: 7:00 PM
– Tickets: available on a sliding scale from **£15 to £60**. As this is a non-profit event that did not receive institutional funding, donations are also welcome to support the initiative.
For more information and to check ticket availability, visit The Horse Hospital‘s website or contact the organisers at [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected]).
A unique opportunity to immerse yourself in Burroughs’ visionary universe in the heart of London.
—
