Jack Kerouac's On The Road scroll rolls into London
The original manuscript of Jack Kerouac's novel On The Road is being displayed to the public at the British Library in London.
The 120 feet (36.6m) scroll was written over a period of three weeks in April 1951.
Kerouac typed onto rolls of paper which were taped together into a long scroll so he did not have to halt his creative flow.
The finished novel, which differs in several ways to the manuscript, remains Kerouac's most influential and famous book and a film version is being released this month.
The scroll is being displayed along with a collection of other Beat classics and rare sound recordings of Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg and William Burroughs and there a number of events at the British Library to coincide with the exhibition.
The manuscript is on loan to the museum from the collection of James S. Irsay. Copyright: Estate of Anthony G. Sampatacacus and the Estate of Jan Kerouac.
Video Journalist: Tom Beal
04 Oct 2012
- From the section Entertainment & Arts