Book signing: Grapefruit by Yoko Ono – 15 July 1971

July 14, 2026

Thursday 15 July 1971 | Selfridges, Oxford Street, London, England

On 15 July 1971, John Lennon and Yoko Ono took part in a signing session for Ono’s book Grapefruit at the Selfridges department store on Oxford Street, London. Around 400 people attended. After the signing, Lennon and Ono attended a press reception. A second signing session took place the following day at Claude Gill Books, also on Oxford Street.

Grapefruit

Grapefruit is a collection of conceptual art instruction pieces — known as “event scores” — written by Yoko Ono. Originally published in a limited edition in Tokyo in 1964 by Wunternaum Press, it had recently been reissued as a paperback, bringing Ono’s avant-garde work to a much wider audience.

The book is divided into five sections — Music, Painting, Event, Poetry, and Object — and contains short, often enigmatic instructions for imaginary or impossible actions. A typical piece might instruct the reader to “listen to the sound of the earth turning” or “paint until you hear bells”. The work sits at the intersection of Fluxus art, conceptual poetry, and performance instruction.

John Lennon wrote the introduction to the reissued edition, describing Ono as “the most famous unknown artist in the world” — someone whose work was “changing the world” even as most people had never heard of her.

Lennon and Ono in London, July 1971

The signing sessions took place during a brief return to London by Lennon and Ono, who had been based primarily in New York since late 1971. They had returned to the UK partly to promote the Grapefruit reissue and partly to attend to personal matters, including ongoing custody proceedings relating to Ono’s daughter Kyoko.

The Imagine album — Lennon’s most commercially successful solo record — was recorded at Tittenhurst Park in May 1971 and would be released in September of that year. The summer of 1971 was one of the most creatively fertile periods of Lennon’s post-Beatles career.

Key Facts: 15 July 1971

Date	Thursday 15 July 1971
Event	Book signing for Grapefruit by Yoko Ono
Venue	Selfridges, Oxford Street, London
Attendance	Approximately 400
Second signing	16 July 1971, Claude Gill Books, Oxford Street, London
Book	Grapefruit by Yoko Ono (originally published Tokyo, 1964; reissued as paperback 1971)

Selfridges, Oxford Street, London — where John Lennon and Yoko Ono signed copies of Grapefruit on 15 July 1971.

John Lennon

Officially licensed John Lennon merch.

John Lennon Self Portrait T-Shirt →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Grapefruit by Yoko Ono?

Grapefruit is a collection of conceptual art instruction pieces — known as event scores — written by Yoko Ono. Originally published in a limited edition in Tokyo in 1964, it was reissued as a paperback in 1971. The book is divided into five sections: Music, Painting, Event, Poetry, and Object, and contains short, often enigmatic instructions for imaginary or impossible actions.

Did John Lennon write the introduction to Grapefruit?

Yes. John Lennon wrote the introduction to the reissued paperback edition of Grapefruit, describing Yoko Ono as “the most famous unknown artist in the world”.

Where did John Lennon and Yoko Ono sign Grapefruit?

John Lennon and Yoko Ono held a signing session for Grapefruit at Selfridges on Oxford Street, London on 15 July 1971, attended by around 400 people. A second signing took place the following day at Claude Gill Books, also on Oxford Street.

What was John Lennon doing in summer 1971?

In summer 1971, John Lennon had recently recorded the Imagine album at Tittenhurst Park (released September 1971) and returned briefly to London with Yoko Ono to promote the reissue of her book Grapefruit and attend to personal matters. It was one of the most creatively fertile periods of his post-Beatles career.