The Studio Game

Liska and Guy suspect that an artist cannot be considered truly great until he or she is dead. At least - some kind of suicidal statement would be just the thing to propel their work from obscurity into the infamous A-List of the art world. With their work completed, Liska and Guy attempt to immortalise themselves by following many of the greats to an early grave. Guy loses his courage however, and he's left alive and able to see how Liska's work is valued after her death.

The Studio Game portrays an art world in danger of imploding. Popular works of art are referenced throughout, offering a running commentary on a story that is both a tale of young love and an insider's take on the eccentricities of our present-day art world.

Peter Burnett has created a lovable, slightly eccentric anti-hero surrounded by a weird and wonderful plethora of characters. This bittersweet, dreamlike tale may be fiction but the astutely-researched narrative is set within today’s real art auction market of Warhol, Emin, Hirst and Creed.

Burnett’s previous novels, The Supper Book and The Machine Doctor received high praise - “ hilarious, informative and just a tad crazy” … “an exhilarating and anarchic comedy.”

Likewise, The Studio Game is a cleverly constructed, rollercoaster ride, rich in humour, taking us on an intellectual and emotional journey which also challenges our own notion of “what is art” along the way