28 June
We are marking the centenary of the birth of Mervyn Peake (1911-1968), author of the Gormenghast trilogy, with an illustrated talk, The life and work of Mervyn Peake on Wednesday 6 July.
Sponsored by The Friends of The National Archives, the evening lecture will be presented by Sebastian Peake, Mervyn Peake's son, and will focus on his father's remarkable life as a prolific writer and artist. There will also be an opportunity to view a display of all 16 original Mervyn Peake wartime artworks held at The National Archives.
Juliette Johnstone, Museum Coordinator, said: 'The talk is an opportunity to celebrate the life and work of an extraordinary individual, as well as to showcase some of the fascinating original artworks held here.'
The man and his work
Over a period of 30 years, Mervyn Peake produced four novels including the Gormenghast trilogy and Mr Pye, (both of which were later turned into television adaptations), over 250 poems, several short stories and ten plays. In 2008 The Times featured Peake on their list of 'The 50 greatest British writers since 1945'. As an artist, he also created many portraits in a variety of media and illustrated 24 books, including Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Treasure Island. The National Portrait Gallery, the British Library and the Imperial War Museum are among the many institutions that have exhibited Peake's work.
Peake's artworks at The National Archives
During the Second World War, Mervyn Peake came up with a novel idea for a series of artworks - a collection of pictures that Hitler might have produced as an artist. The Ministry of Information bought the work with the intention of publishing propaganda booklets. These however were never produced and 16 of the series were later transferred to The National Archives. This selection of original artworks, held within the record series INF 3, has never been published in its entirety or exhibited publically as a whole.
The lecture takes place on Wednesday 6 July at 18:00. See our events page for information on how to book.
