Posy Simmonds was born in Berkshire in 1945. She studied graphic design and illustration at the Central School of Art and Design in London and got her first newspaper gig in 1969 with a daily cartoon in the Sun. Her long association with the Guardian began in 1972. The paper serialised her middle-class satires Gemma Bovery in the late 1990s and Tamara Drewe in 2005-6; both became graphic novels and were later turned into feature films. Simmonds lives in London with her husband, the graphic designer Richard Hollis. Her exhibition Posy Simmonds: Dessiner la littérature is at the Pompidou Centre in Paris until 1 April 2024.
1. Book
The Visionaries by Wolfram Eilenberger
When I heard about this book I went straight out and got it. It’s about four female thinkers – Hannah Arendt, Simone de Beauvoir, Ayn Rand and Simone Weil – and it follows their thinking and experience of war and authoritarianism through the 1930s and 40s, drawing from their letters and writing. Each has an extraordinary story. Weil and Arendt were triply marginalised because they were women, Jewish and intellectuals. There’s a bit written by Weil in 1937 which is incredibly prophetic about the political state of the world. It’s an extraordinary book and very readable.
2. Place
The Oare Marshes on the north Kent coast are the perfect antidote to London. I like going there even when it’s cold and dank. It’s very flat, with big skies and huge horizons, and it’s sort of where you feel England petering out. I’m a birdwatcher but I don’t take photographs. Usually we just amble about and sometimes make lists of what we’ve seen. The other day there were turnstones, redshanks, wigeons, little grebes, buzzards and cormorants, but no hen harriers. It’s lovely all times of year.
3. Dance
Edward Scissorhands at Sadler’s Wells
I’m looking forward to seeing this. I’ve heard it is wonderfully done and rather romantic. It’s a Matthew Bourne production, so it’ll be very lush. I haven’t seen the Tim Burton film it’s based on but I know it’s a tragicomic story about an outsider with scissors for hands. There’s love and bullying and it’s apparently quite funny at moments – Edward is eventually accepted because he does topiary and hairdressing. It should be a nice evening out, and Sadler’s Wells is handy because I can walk there.
4. Pub
The Chequers Inn, Well, Hampshire
I went here for research, because I wanted to see what went on in a country pub. It’s got huge chocolate-box appeal in that it’s got beams and brasses and prints and real ales. It was a cold night but the pub was very cosy and full of people having a nice time – and perhaps forgetting all the horror of the world outside. It was a warm, friendly place and the food was nice too, particularly the fish. The pub probably will remain anonymous [in my work], but I’ll incorporate some of its atmosphere.
5. TV
Live at the Waterhole, WildEarth
I discovered this by accident. It’s excellent slow TV showing video footage from waterholes in Africa – good if you’ve had a frazzled day. There are comments too – the audience can interact and ask questions – but I often turn the sound down. All you do is sit back and watch oryxes drinking or herds of elephants, whhich take absolutely ages to drink. Giraffes have to spread-eagle themselves to reach the water; they look like tripods. Sometimes there are lions and occasionally you get a hippopotamus. Sometimes absolutely bugger all is happening and you’re just looking at water. It’s just incredibly relaxing.
6. Shop
L Cornelissen & Son, Great Russell Street, London WC1
I’ve used this shop for a long time. It’s got a very handsome green facade and inside there’s a stupendous range of art materials. I go in with the intention of just buying three pencils but usually I leave with brushes and sepia ink and tubes of gouache, and they have very nice sketchbooks, so it’s hard to resist. They also sell specialist gums and resins, which I don’t use but other artists do. The people who run it are very nice and they know their stock terribly well.
