Tolerated in Britain for over 300 years—and ubiquitous throughout the world for much longer—visual satire gives offence in the quickest way and in its purest form. Cartoons have long since established themselves as a legitimate part of the general political discourse. As a cartoonist, it is Rowson’s job to give offence. But the flip side of giving offence is, of course, giving comfort to the opponents or victims of the offended. In Giving Offence, Rowson explains how and why cartoons work, why they matter and why the reactions of the offended are often an even blunter political weapon than the cartoons themselves.

In collaboration with Index on Censorship.