David Shenton: Kindly Ease The Tension

Forty Lies = Life Story, with David Shenton

14 Nov 2026

Join us for a special event with cartoonist and artist David Shenton, as he tells stories from his graphic novel memoir Forty Lies.

David Shenton has been a cartoonist since the 1970s with his work appearing in practically every gay publication in the UK, plus the Guardian, Solicitors' Journal, Disability Now and The Optician magazine. He has taught art and literacy at Norwich Prison, Hackney College, and worked as a keeper in London Zoo, and is the founder and co-ordinator of the Norwich Men's Knitting Group. His book Stanley and the Mask of Mystery, published in 1983, was the first full length queer graphic novel in the world.

His work brings laughter, provokes thought, and offers comfort for the inevitable challenges people face in life. He has also tackled social issues such as same-sex marriage and the AIDS crisis. The first major retrospective of his work, David Shenton: Kindly Ease The Tension is currently on display at Norwich Castle, curated by Ian Giles.

Recommended age 16+.