Acquisition:	Purchases, 2004, 2008 (R15236, 2008-09-08-P)
	Processed by:	Joan Sibley and Daniela Lozano, 2016-2017

Repository:

Harry Ransom Center, The University of Texas at Austin

	Iain MacGregor Sinclair was born June 11, 1943 in Cardiff, Wales, to Henry and Doris Sinclair, and grew up in Maesteg, a former mining town outside of Cardiff. He attended Cheltenham College and the London School of Film Technique (now the London Film School) before enrolling at Trinity College in Dublin where he served as the editor of the student literary magazine, Icarus. While at Trinity College he met Anna Hadman and they married in 1967. They purchased a house in Hackney, a borough of London, in 1969, with money Sinclair earned from his film documenting Allen Ginsberg’s visit to London, Ah! Sunflower (1967), made for German television. Their first child, Farne, was born in 1972, their second, William, in 1975, and their third, Madeleine, in 1980.
	After moving to London, Sinclair worked various jobs including teacher, cigar roller, brewery barrel roller, dockyard laborer, and churchyard and cemetery gardener. In 1970, he started his own press, Albion Village Press, and published small editions of his works including the poetry books Muscat’s Würm (1972) and The Birth Rug (1973), as well as The Kodak Mantra Diaries (1971) which chronicles the making of Ah! Sunflower. He also published works by other British writers including Brian Catling, Tony Lowes, J. H. Prynne, Peter Riley, and Chris Torrance.
	While working as a laborer in east London with Catling, Sinclair became interested in six churches there designed by Nicholas Hawksmoor. Sinclair believed there was a mythological significance to their locations and this became the subject of his long poem, Lud Heat, published by Albion Village Press in 1975. Suicide Bridge followed in 1979 and both are considered Sinclair’s most important poetry books and were later published together by Vintage in 1995 and by Granta in 1998. Sinclair’s poetry aligned with the counter culture and post-Beat poetry of the 1960s and established him as a member of a poetic avant-garde movement taking place in Britain in the 1960s and 1970s sometimes referred to as the British Poetry Revival.
	Sinclair spent the late 1970s and early 1980s working as a bookseller in addition to writing. This provided the idea and characters for his first novel, White Chappell, Scarlet Tracings, published in 1987, which was the sole runner-up for the Guardian Fiction Prize and helped launch Sinclair’s literary career as a novelist. By the 1990s, he was making his living as a writer, receiving frequent commissions for essays from publications such as London Review of Books and the Guardian, and publishing various works including the novel Downriver (1991), which was awarded the Encore Award and the James Tait Black Memorial Prize for fiction in 1991. Other works from this decade include the poetry book Jack Elam’s Other Eye (1991), the novel Radon Daughters (1994), the edited anthology Conductors of Chaos (1996), and two collaborative non-fiction works, Liquid City (1999) with photographer Marc Atkins, and Rodinsky’s Room (1999) with Rachel Lichtenstein. Sinclair also served as poetry editor at Paladin in the early 1990s, publishing fellow British Poetry Revival poets including Catling, Torrance, Allen Fisher, Bill Griffiths, and Barry MacSweeney.
	In 1997, Sinclair published a collected volume of essays about his walks around London, Lights Out for the Territory. Documenting the changes the city was going through as the New Labour party was taking over from the Tories and the effect that new power and money was having on the city, it became an instant bestseller. It is the first in a trilogy of works based on city walks along with London Orbital (2002) and Edge of the Orison (2005). In London Orbital Sinclair documents his walk around the M25, the 117-mile motorway that encircles London, while in Edge of the Orison, he recreates the poet John Clare’s 80-mile walk from Essex, where he escaped from an asylum, to his home in Northborough. This process of taking walks throughout London as a way of writing about the city and involving historical figures such as John Clare, Jack the Ripper, and Arthur Conan Doyle, led to Sinclair’s work being associated with psychogeography, an approach to geography in which the influence of place on emotions is explored.
	In addition to writing, Sinclair continued to make films. The Cardinal and the Corpse, made with Chris Petit in 1992, is based on sinister dealings of the book trade, and The Falconer, a collaboration with Petit and sculptor Steve Dilworth from 1997, is a semi-fictional documentary about British underground filmmaker Peter Whitehead. A film version of London Orbital, also made with Petit, who drove the motorway while Sinclair walked, was released with that book. He is also a frequent contributor to BBC programs and has organized various exhibitions and events around London.
	Sinclair continues to live and work in Hackney. More recent works include Hackney, That Rose-Red Empire (2009), Ghost Milk (2011) and American Smoke (2014).

	The papers of British writer Iain Sinclair consist of drafts of works, research material, juvenilia, notebooks, personal and professional correspondence, business files, financial files, works by others, ephemera, and electronic files. They document Sinclair’s prolific and diverse career, from running his own press to his wide range of creative output including works of poetry, fiction, non-fiction, edited anthologies, screenplays, articles, essays, reviews, and radio and television contributions. The papers are organized into five series: I. Literary Activities, 1882-2009 (bulk 1970-2008), undated; II. Correspondence, 1957-2008, undated; III. Career and Personal Papers, 1950-2008, undated; IV. Works by Others, 1968-2008, undated; and V. Printed Materials, 1973-2008, undated.
	The Ransom Center acquired the papers in two separate acquisitions in 2004 and 2008. Except in a few cases, the material lacked an arrangement or organizational system. Many items that were not related to each other were grouped into envelopes that were either unlabeled or labeled with only some of their contents, though the labels were often vague, such as "drafts." These items were separated in order to be filed with their respective project or topic, and the original envelope, or a photocopy of it, was kept with the item even when the description on the envelope did not include or was not necessarily indicative of said item. Where an original order was evident, for example the alphabetical files of correspondence, it was retained. Otherwise, the arrangement outlined here was determined by the archivist.
	Series I. Literary Activities consists of 55 document boxes, 5 oversize boxes, and 9 oversize folders of materials associated with Sinclair’s writings and editorial projects. It is arranged into four subseries: A. Long Works, 1882-2009 (bulk 1970-2009), undated; B. Film and Television, 1967-2007, undated; C. Essays and Short Works, circa 1970s-2008, undated; and D. Other Writings, circa 1953-2008, undated. Works in each of these subseries are arranged in alphabetical order by title except for the book contributions and reviews which are arranged alphabetically by author, and the notebooks which are arranged chronologically.
	Subseries A. Long Works consists of Sinclair’s book-length works published between 1970 and 2009. This includes poetry and prose compilations, novels, non-fiction works, and books edited by Sinclair. Within each title, the material generally follows the chronological order of literary production, from research and notes to publication proofs. When present, related material such as dust jacket proofs and publicity material follow the drafts. Notebooks that were originally filed with a specific work, or labeled with the title of a specific work, are located with that work. In some cases, handwritten notes are written on letters or empty envelopes, or on the back of discarded typescript pages. When identified, the titles of the typescript drafts on the versos of pages of notes are indicated in the container list. Drafts remain arranged in the order in which they arrived at the Ransom Center which, especially in the cases of works of poetry, is not necessarily the order in which they appear in their published form. Some works also include extensive research material especially Downriver (1991), Edge of the Orison (2005), Hackney, That Rose-Red Empire (2009), Landor’s Tower (2001), Lights Out for the Territory (1997), and London Orbital (2002). Numerous interview transcripts are also located with material for Hackney, That Rose-Red Empire. Sinclair’s editorial projects, Conductors of Chaos (1996) and London: City of Disappearances (2006) also include individual files for the books’ contributors that consist of correspondence and/or typescripts of their works.
	Sinclair published some of his early works under his own presses, Albion Village Press, and later, Hoarse Commerce Press. The works published under Albion Village Press are Back Garden Poems (1970), The Birth Rug (1973), Groucho Positive/Groucho Negative (1974), The Kodak Mantra Diaries (1971), Lud Heat (1975), Muscat’s Würm (1972), and Suicide Bridge (1979). Works published under Hoarse Commerce Press are Autistic Poses (1985), Flesh Eggs & Scalp Metal (1983), Fluxions (1983), and Jack Elam’s Other Eye (1991). Production material for these works, mostly in the form of paste-ups, is listed in the container list both in this subseries, as well as in Series III. Career and Personal Papers, Subseries A. Business and Employment.
	A few early typescripts, as well as a paste-up of Lud Heat, arrived at the Ransom Center with evidence of mold. The Center’s Conservation Department has vacuum treated the Lud Heat paste-up, but mold spores may still be present. For health reasons, patrons may consider wearing gloves and a dust/mist respirator while handling this material. Other items that contain mold are a typescript of Back Garden Poems, two typescripts from 1973 of The Birth Rug, and a typescript from 1973 of Red Eye (2013). The typescripts have not been treated and are currently restricted.
	Subseries B. Film and Television contains material related to Sinclair’s film and television projects, including several that are unproduced. Completed projects include Ah! Sunflower (1967), Asylum (2000), The Cardinal and the Corpse (1992), and The Falconer (1998). Film proposals and unproduced films lacking a title are listed by the description provided by Sinclair which is indicated in single quotes in the container list. A small amount of film related correspondence and notes is included at the end of this subseries. The correspondence includes letters regarding Ah! Sunflower and rejection letters for film proposals. Included with the notes is an essay on film written by Sinclair.
	Subseries C. Essays and Short Works is made up of short writings for various publications, especially London Review of Books and the Guardian. These are listed alphabetically by their original title as it appears on Sinclair’s typescripts, though many were published under alternative titles which are also noted. Occasionally, research material is also included in the files.
	Subseries D. Other Writings consists of book contributions, early works, lectures and talks, lyrics, notebooks, poetry, reviews, assorted short writings, notes and fragments, and unsorted electronic files.
	Book contributions include introductions, poems, stories, and essays published in books by other writers or compilations. Listed alphabetically by the author of the work, they include typescripts and, in some cases, notes, research material, and proofs of the work.
	Early works consist of early writings and juvenilia. Notebooks from Sinclair’s time at Cheltenham College and Trinity College in Dublin are also included. The early writings are primarily drafts of plays and poems, though a film script and an unfinished novel are also present. Of note in this section is a handwritten manuscript of Sinclair’s first story written around 1953, The Mystery of Rashmere Abbey. An essay on Dylan Thomas, for which he was awarded the Trevelyan Scholarship, is also included.
	The Lectures and Talks section is comprised of drafts of lectures given at various events. They are listed alphabetically by title. Notes for talks are also included at the end of this section though some of the events with which they are associated are not identified.
	The small section of Lyrics consists of typescripts of song lyrics written by Sinclair, some in collaboration with composer John Harle.
	Sixty-five notebooks spanning from about 1960 to 2007 are included. They are arranged chronologically and provide perspective into Sinclair’s writing and writing process. The earlier notebooks from the 1960s to the 1970s primarily contain drafts of poems, notes, jottings, and occasional doodles. The later notebooks contain notes, lists, and drafts for various works. The majority of the notebooks are unlabeled; however, in cases where the title of a specific work contained in the notebook was noted or could be ascertained, that information was included in the description. Of interest is the "Chatham in Five Hours" notebook located in folder 53.3. Written in one day, it recounts a five-hour walk through Chatham undertaken by Sinclair and his wife, Anna, in April 2007 and includes pasted in text and photographs.
	A small poetry section in this subseries consists of some "collage poems" made up of cut up texts, and research material about poetry. Also present is a folder containing drafts of poems ranging from 1977 to 1985 that includes some which were published in Autistic Poses, Flesh Eggs & Scalp Metal, and Fluxions.
	The reviews in this subseries, many of which were written for London Review of Books, are arranged in alphabetical order by the author of the reviewed work. The titles under which the reviews were published, as well Sinclair’s original titles, are also noted in the container list.
	The Assorted Short Writings section contains short pieces written by Sinclair such as solicited book recommendations and promotional blurbs for works by other writers.
	Notes on various subjects as well as assorted fragments are located at the end of this subseries and are listed alphabetically by subject. Two folders containing various typescript fragments and notes at the end of this section also include portions of Downriver, London Orbital, Rodinsky’s Room, and notes for talks. One folder is made up of unidentified notes and fragments.
	A small section at the end of this series is comprised of unsorted electronic files contained on a Macintosh Performa 460 hard drive (0809008P-001) and two disks (20080908P-008 through 20080908P-009). The hard drive contains drafts of works, as well as notes and correspondence, from 1995 to 2006. The drafts include Buried at Sea and Objects of Obscure Desire, as well as the short works Channel Hopping, Deadad, Fallujah London, Funeral Homes & Small Bright Ornaments, The Monkey’s Jaw, Primitive London, A City Revised: Purple Clouds & Ladders of Glass, Rivers & Mounds, and Route Monsters. The hard drive also contains notes and/or promotional material for Ah! Sunflower; Hackney, That Rose-Red Empire; Kodak Mantra Diaries; and London: City of Disappearances. One disk, labeled "Writings Jan/Oct 05," contains drafts for several essays including Fallujah London, Patrick Hamilton, Going to the Crossroads, Foot-Foundered, and River Gods. Also in this disk is material for Buried at Sea and drafts for the reviews Route Monsters and First There is a Mountain. One folder in the disk contains material related to artist Sarah Simblet. The second disk, labeled "Writings 2," contains a large amount of drafts, digital images, correspondence, notes, and other personal and career related files. A folder titled "articles" contains drafts of several essays, reviews, and other short writings. Other folders in the disk contain material for Ah! Sunflower; Buried at Sea; The Firewall; and London: City of Disappearances among others. The majority of the files on this disk are not organized into computer directory folders. Other works represented include Dining on Stones; Hackney, That Rose-Red Empire; London Orbital; Objects of Obscure Desire; and the short works Big Umbrellas in the Badlands; Diving into Dirt; Empty Streets, Busy Walls; and Funeral Homes & Small Bright Ornaments.
	Series II. Correspondence contains personal and professional letters. It is subdivided into three subseries: A. Alphabetical Files, 1963-2008, undated; B. Chronological Files, 1962-2008, undated; and C. Family, School, and Early Correspondence, 1957-circa 2000s, undated. The Alphabetical Files and Family, School, and Early Correspondence reflect the original order in which the correspondence from the first accession was received. Letters not filed within these categories were arranged chronologically in the Chronological Files. The correspondence in the second accession of material lacked a filing system and those letters were either interfiled with the Alphabetical files, if a file for that correspondent was present, or added to the Chronological Files.
	Subseries A. Alphabetical Files consists of personal and professional correspondence filed alphabetically by sender and reflect Sinclair’s arrangement as received with the first accession of materials. Correspondence received with the second accession lacked this organization; however, for consistency, letters from senders that already had an alphabetical file were added to that file, with the exception of printed out emails included in the email files from 2005 to 2008. Especially well represented in this subseries are writers Tony Lowes, Michael Moorcock, and Chris Torrance. Moorcock often sent Sinclair various items in addition to letters including toys, candy, and ephemera. An item of interest in the correspondence is a matchbox containing a petrified lizard carcass (found in container 57.2) sent to Sinclair by Brian Catling who often addressed him as "Muscat." Other notable correspondents include Peter Ackroyd, Martin Booth, William S. Burroughs, Paul Green, Nicholas Johnson, Douglas Oliver, J. H. Prynne, Peter Riley, and Ben Watson (also known as "Out to Lunch").
	Subseries B. Chronological Files contains correspondence from 1962 to 2008 that was not separated into alphabetical or topical files. It includes letters related to Albion Village Press, financial and legal correspondence, personal letters, requests, invitations, and printed ephemera such as newsletters and brochures. Within each year, the letters are arranged alphabetically by sender. Letters with an unidentified sender or signed with first name only and any empty envelopes are filed at the end of the folder. A few outgoing letters are included throughout, especially in the files from 1999 and later, and these are interfiled with their corresponding incoming letter, if present, or at the end.
	Interfiled within the chronological files are a small amount of email printouts, but the bulk of the emails were grouped separately in envelopes. They range from 2005 to 2008 and are located at the end of the chronological files. These are organized by year and arranged in rough chronological order within each year. Sinclair’s replies and printed out attachments are sometimes included. Some emails also contain handwritten notes or replies by Sinclair.
	Other small topical files of correspondence included at the end of this subseries are poetry submissions and requests for readings or other events. Unidentified and loose enclosures were grouped by year and are also located at the end of this subseries. They consist of ephemera, clippings, business cards, and unidentified photocopies.
	Subseries C. Family, School, and Early Correspondence contains letters that were grouped but filed separately from the alphabetical files. This includes early personal correspondence, filed alphabetically under the General section; early letters regarding employment; letters from Sinclair’s family, including his parents, wife, and children; rejection letters from the 1960s; and school-related correspondence from Cheltenham College, Trinity College, and Courtauld Institute of Art. The correspondence in the Trinity College file includes letters and submissions from the time Sinclair served as editor of the literary magazine, Icarus.
	The bulk of the correspondents are listed in the Index of Correspondents included in this guide except for Christmas cards signed with first names only or unidentified, and mass emails received from various neighborhood listservs.
	Series III. Career and Personal Papers contains documents and material related to Sinclair’s businesses, writing career, and contributions to various events and organizations. It is divided into two subseries: A. Business and Employment, 1969-2003, undated; and B. Other Papers, 1950-2008, undated. The material in this series is filed in alphabetical order by name or topic.
	Subseries A. Business and Employment contains material related to Sinclair’s presses, Albion Village Press and Hoarse Commerce Press; his bookselling business, Iain Sinclair Books; and his time as editor of the Paladin Poetry series.
	The Albion Village Press files make up the bulk of this subseries and consist of catalogues, correspondence, financial records, reviews, and production material for books published by the press including several paste ups. The works represented include early works by Sinclair, also listed in Series I. Literary Activities, Subseries A. Long Works, as well as works by Brian Catling, Tony Lowes, J. H. Prynne, Peter Riley, and Chris Torrance. Several of the paste-ups arrived at the Ransom Center with evidence of mold. The Center’s Conservation Department has vacuum treated these, but mold spores may still be present. For health reasons, patrons may consider wearing gloves and a dust/mist respirator while handling this material. The affected paste-ups are Catling’s Vorticegarden (1974), Prynne’s A Night Square (1973), Sinclair’s Lud Heat (1975), and Torrance’s The Magic Door (1975).
	Material related to Hoarse Commerce Press consists of book paste-ups for works by Sinclair, and one paste-up for Penniless Politics (1991) by Douglas Oliver.
	Business cards, correspondence, and financial records for Sinclair’s bookselling business, Iain Sinclair Books, is included in this subseries. The orders found here are primarily for Oliver’s Penniless Politics, though a small amount of orders for other works are also in the file. A large, but incomplete, series of book catalogues and catalogue paste-ups are also present.
	Sinclair served as editor of the Paladin Poetry series, Re/Active Anthologies, in the early 1990s and material related to that editorship is included here. It consists of drafts and correspondence from poets Allen Fisher, Bill Griffiths, Barry MacSweeney, and Chris Torrance, as well as correspondence with the publisher of the series, Grafton Books, which later merged with HarperCollins. The Grafton Books/HarperCollins files also include letters regarding Downriver; White Chappell, Scarlet Tracings; and Flesh Eggs and Scalp Metal.
	Subseries B. Other Papers is primarily made up of material related to Sinclair’s writing career, including financial and legal documents, as well as material from his various event, exhibition, and radio and television contributions. A small amount of articles and interviews are also included in this subseries, as well as photographs documenting Sinclair’s honorary degree from Brunel University in 2007. The materials are in alphabetical order by topic.
	The Events and Exhibitions section makes up the bulk of this subseries and consists of programs and promotional material for conferences, festivals, and exhibitions with which Sinclair was involved. Some files also include correspondence and notes. It is arranged alphabetically by event name.
	Financial and Legal documents in this subseries includes contracts and files related to royalties and income from different sources, including the BBC. Material from Sinclair’s agent, MBA Literary Agents, is also filed here. Personal financial files consist of bills, receipts, statements, invoices, and check stub books.
	Subjects represented in the Subject Files and Collected Materials section are primarily individuals, though a collection of clippings on the moon landing and the assassination of Bobby Kennedy are also included. The individuals represented in the subject files include historical figures as well as Sinclair collaborators. Among them are Marc Atkins, William Hope Hodgson, John Cowper Powys, Sarah Simblet, Jack Trevor Story, and Peter Whitehead. Material that was grouped together but lacking a unifying theme or topic was kept together and is filed at the end of this section. The grouping does not necessarily indicate the material was collected together for a specific purpose, and some files include unidentified notes by Sinclair.
	The Television and Radio section in this subseries contains material related to Sinclair’s contributions to various television and radio broadcasts, especially for the BBC. The files include research material, notes, scripts, correspondence, and production material.
	Series IV. Works by Others consists of typescripts and proofs of works written by others, arranged alphabetically by author. A small amount of these works are about Sinclair and those are listed at the beginning of the series. They include an unpublished essay by Kathy Acker, several extracts of Robert Bond’s PhD thesis, and an essay by Simon Perril. The bulk of the series is made up of works that are not about Sinclair and were sent to him by authors and publishers. Some of the writers represented are Brian Catling, Stewart Home, Michael Moorcock, Douglas Oliver, Simon Perril, Chris Petit, Jeremy Reed, David Seabrook, Ben Watson, and Tony White.
	Series V. Printed Materials is subdivided into four subseries: A. Catalogues, 1977-2005, undated; B. Chapbooks and Publications, 1973-2003, undated; C. Newsletters and Serials, 1973-2008, undated; and D. Ephemera, circa 1970s-2000s. The catalogues, newsletters and serials, and ephemera are arranged alphabetically by name or title, while the chapbooks and publications are arranged alphabetically by author.
	Subseries A. Catalogues contains catalogues from various booksellers, publishers, and small presses. The publishers’ catalogues that contain books by Sinclair are noted in parentheses, however, some of the bookseller and small press catalogues also include his works and/or information on Albion Village Press or Iain Sinclair Books.
	Subseries B. Chapbooks and Publications includes works by various writers including Simon Perril, Nicholas Royle, and Barry Tebb.
	Subseries C. Newsletters and Serials consists of periodical issues, some of which contain essays or excerpts by Sinclair or reviews of his books, noted in parentheses in the container list. Of note is a copy of issue number 4 of Joint from about late 1969 to early 1970s, which includes several early short poems by Sinclair. Of the newsletters, the Association of Little Presses (ALP) Newsletter is especially well represented and goes back to the first issue from 1973. Other newsletters that include several issues are PALPI (Poetry and Little Press Information) and Poetry Now Newsletter.
	Subseries D. Ephemera contains a large amount of ephemera collected by Sinclair including brochures, invitations, flyers, programs, and promotional material. It is divided into ephemera related to art and theatre, and ephemera related to book publishing and periodicals. Ephemera in this subseries does not include items for events or exhibitions with which Sinclair was a participant or contributor. The arrangement is alphabetical by the name of the organization or business.

Letters from Iain Sinclair to Bill Griffiths are in the Bill Griffiths Collection at Brunel University London.

Bound volumes and commercial audio CDs were transferred to the Ransom Center Library. One unpublished CD was transferred to the Ransom Center Sound Recordings Collection. A computer hard drive, data CDs, and floppy disks were transferred to the Ransom Center's Electronic Records Collection. Several small promotional items (buttons, pencil) were transferred to the Ransom Center Personal Effects Collection.

	People
		Catling, B. (Brian).
		Fisher, Allen, 1944- .
		Home, Stewart, 1962- .
		Lichtenstein, Rachel, 1969- .
		Lowes, Tony, 1944- .
		Moorcock, Michael, 1939- .
		Petit, Christopher.
		Torrance, Chris.
	Subjects
		Authors, Welsh--20th century.
		Poets, Welsh--20th century.
	Document Types
		Clippings.
		Correspondence.
		Electronic documents.
		Ephemera.
		Manuscripts.
		Publications.
		Scripts.