Researchers at the University of Liverpool have created a new online exhibition to mark 300 years since the publication of Jonathan Swift's Gulliver's Travels. The exhibition, titled Gulliver's Travels: Before and Beyond, is hosted by the University library's Digital Heritage Lab and showcases items from the University's Special Collections and Archives.
The original novel was published on 28 October 1726. It tells the story of Lemuel Gulliver's adventures among lands of giants, floating islands, and talking horses.
Notable recordings and contributors
The exhibition features exclusive audio recordings of passages from Swift's satirical work read by writers, performers and scholars. Readers include BBC broadcaster and Private Eye editor Ian Hislop, actor and author Paterson Joseph (The Secret Diaries of Ignatius Sancho), and novelists Evie Woods (The Lost Bookshop) and Christopher Paolini (Eragon, To Sleep in a Sea of Stars).
Contributors also include representatives from the Ehrenpreis Centre for Swift Studies at the University of Münster and Marsh's Library in Dublin, Swift's own local library.
Exhibition structure and legacy
The exhibition interweaves panels featuring objects from Special Collections and Archives with passages from key moments in the book performed by the notable readers. This approach contextualises Gulliver's Travels within the texts that influenced Swift and the historical and political culture of his time.
Professor Greg Lynall, King Alfred Chair in English Literature and Head of English at the University of Liverpool, said: "Collaborating with Special Collections & Archives and the Digital Heritage Lab on this exhibition has been a wonderful opportunity to conduct and disseminate new research on Gulliver's Travels and its deep legacy, through multiple formats (text, image, audio) and showcasing unique items we hold at the University."
Dr Corrina Readioff, Honorary Research Fellow at the University of Liverpool, added: "More than just an extraordinary tale of one man's remarkable adventures, Gulliver's Travels is an exploration of the human condition that is as wise and relevant today as it was 300 years ago."
Associated events
The tercentenary has also inspired a 'Travels' themed short story competition for 2026, organised by Liverpool Literary Festival and supported by Scrivener and Waterstones. The competition is open to staff and students.
The exhibition and competition form part of wider international celebrations of Swift's iconic tale. The online exhibition is available to visit now at the University of Liverpool website.