Clive Barker - bestselling novelist, film-maker, playwright, photographer and artist
The Clive Barker Archive collates Clive’s works in all media, including his working notes, papers and sketches for hundreds of projects – both published and unpublished – dating from the mid-1960’s to the present day.
Launched in 2016, the Clive Barker Archive offers a unique insight into the creative workings of a multi-media artist.
With plans in hand to create a permanent public gallery space in London, sections of the archive will also be presented online. The Clive Barker Archive will continue to create texts and publications exploring Clive’s work, documenting previously unpublished material and celebrating his influence on a generation of creative film-makers, artists and writers.
Phil and Sarah Stokes – authors of the Memory, Prophecy and Fantasy series and the Revelations website – are Clive’s long-time archivists:
“Phil and Sarah understand me better than almost anyone on the planet. They have an encyclopaedic knowledge of who I am and what I’ve done. My relationship with them is one of the great friendships of my life and the permanent placing of my archive with them is a natural culmination of this great, long relationship. They will display many of my works, including handwritten manuscripts, original art and much more. I am moved beyond words, and I’m pleased to no end to be able to make this announcement here and now.”
Clive Barker
Experimental
Clive's earliest creative projects pushed the boundaries of what is possible when limited resources are met and overcome by the enthusiasm of a close-knit and collaborative group. The archive reveals many previously unseen sketches, texts and photos from these formative years.
Exploratory
With a fearless disregard for the constraints of genre, it is three decades since Clive broke into literary consciousness with his Books of Blood and Weaveworld, whilst Hellraiser enthused cinema audiences with a first taste of his distinctive imagery.
Provocative
His name established, Clive has continued to inspire, shock, challenge and agitate in all media whilst mentoring and encouraging creatives around him. His working methods, captured in his archive, reveal the influences and beliefs that have infused a lifetime of work.