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A visual exploration of the work of Barry Hines on the 50th anniversary of A Kestrel for a Knave

It's 50 years since we met the loveable Billy Casper, a young working-class boy troubled at home and at school, who finds and trains a kestrel he calls 'Kes'. A new exhibition at Sheffield University this month is marking the occasion as well as celebrating the life and work of acclaimed author Barry Hines.

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Black book cover with large white letters spelling "DEAR BARRY" on a light background

Called Untameable, it highlights Hines's dogged determination over three decades to write about the changing personal and political landscapes of working-class life in South Yorkshire. Hines was a man who wrote for and from his community, and unflinchingly chronicled the social injustices he witnessed.

This included the failure of the education system and lack of opportunity found in A Kestrel for a Knave; the examination of land ownership and alienated labour in The Gamekeeper; as well as the devastating effect that Thatcherism had on Sheffield in Looks and Smiles, and the increasingly toxic climate of nuclear threat during the 1980s in Threads.

The show features a 240-panel artwork produced by Patrick Murphy) and Anton Want in response to Barry Hines's writing and his archive held at The University of Sheffield Library. The artists worked closely with Dr David Forrest from the School of English on developing the project and exploring the archive.

If you pop along, you can also see a large artwork of Billy Casper flying his bird, Kes, located on the windows of the Arts Tower, and ride in the lift with a lifesize Mr Sugden the infamous PE teacher played in the film 'Kes' by Brian Glover. You can also fill out a 'Dear Barry' postcard with thoughts and memories of his work which will then be included back into the archive.

"The novels, films and television dramas are just as relevant now as they were 50 years ago, says Patrick Murphy. "The show allowed me to explore my hometown of Barnsley visually and to create artworks specifically referencing this. The text pieces were produced on a 1969 typewriter I bought for this project referencing Hines time working in the Arts Tower."

Along with the exhibition, which runs until 20 December, there's an accompanying book, Untameable, which visually explores the Hines Archive and includes a 50th-anniversary print 'Billy & Kes' both available from patrickmurphystudio.co.uk.

Stencilled artwork on a window depicting Billy Casper holding a kestrel in flight, with text reading "it's fierce and it's wild
Two pages from A Kestrel for a Knave displayed alongside text reading "Nature is a language can't you read?" with a silhouette of a boy holding a bird against bare trees
A figure in a pinstriped suit stands beneath a large lime-green circle with a kestrel in flight above, accompanied by text reading "It's fierce, an' it's wild
Left: weathered hands cupped together against dark denim jacket. Right: red corrugated metal structures lining an empty corridor with blue doors and earth floor
Title card and illustration showing a silhouetted figure of Billy Casper against a turquoise gradient background, accompanying the exhibition title "Who is Billy Casper?
Two pixelated artworks side by side: left panel shows a figure in white with a bird against an urban backdrop in black and gold; right panel displays a beige textured background with a bright magenta circle containing text
Barry Hines wearing glasses in a black and white portrait photograph next to the title Everyday People Everyday Life Poo in typewriter-style text with a pixelated graphic element
Museum display cases showing two figures in red football kit and workwear, referencing Barry Hines's A Kestrel for a Knave exhibition at Sheffield University
Untameable exhibition book cover featuring bold black typography and text by Patrick Murphy and Anton Want, displayed at an angle
Black and white graphic artwork of a kestrel hawk in flight with striped hatching effect, mounted on white canvas
A postcard addressed "Dear Barry" on the left and a white book cover featuring large black distressed lettering spelling "Untameable" on the right, displayed against a white background
Two panels of black and white striped artwork with yellow lettering reading "kes" and a white pixelated "S" symbol, part of Patrick Murphy and Anton Want's 240-panel response to Barry Hines's work
Aerial view of a kestrel design and "KES #50" text created in white on a green field, with a road, hedgerows and residential area visible beyond
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