I filled in all the gaps in my knowledge that I had been aware of, and discovered additional important material, besides. So much was still uncertain in the world at that time, but there was something reassuring about being inside the British Library with the background sounds of murmuring voices, pages turning, and pencilled notes being made. Despite the restrictions, the atmosphere in the reading room was relaxed and comfortable, and it was brought home to me how important it is to have this vital material publicly accessible (not kept in bedrooms, or overseas, owned by rare book dealers). However, over three days Rosalie and I looked through everything we asked for, and because of the friendly efficiency of the staff, we were able to see a little more besides. It seemed unlikely I would ever clear this up because the majority of official records relating to conscientious objection have been destroyed. This seemed out of character, and his old friends suggested several alternative theories, none of which could be verified. The second was any concrete information relating to Aickman’s claim that he had been a conscientious objector in the Second World War, exempted from any kind of war work. This mine of useful information was in the hands of a rare book dealer in the US. The first was my inability to read Aickman’s letters to his American agent, Kirby McCauley. There were only two major lacunae that concerned me.
Benjamin little misfortune pdf#
When I contacted them, I discovered the librarians were able to make pdf copies (for a modest fee) of all that I needed to see.Īfter a year of intensive and productive research from home, I was confident that many gaps in my knowledge would be filled when the British Library re-opened. Even if I could travel there at some unspecified time in the future, I wasn’t certain I could justify the expense. I had to wait for the archives to re-open here in the UK, but there was another small collection of important material at Bowling Green University in America. Those who might otherwise have been wary of using modern technology were happy to make Zoom and Skype calls. As for interviewing Aickman’s old friends, they were very helpful and they now had the time to share information with me. However, since the 1990s I had amassed more research material than I realised, and now I had the opportunity to read it! If anything, being confined to home was a blessing in disguise. I couldn’t consult any of the archives I wished to visit, meet up with anyone who knew Aickman, or visit any of the sites associated with him. The first problem was one shared by all researchers-the pandemic. Reproduced by the kind permission of the Estate of Robert Aickman.
The short-lived pseudonym was taken from the lead character in Leni Riefenstahl’s 1932 film The Blue Light. Note Aickman’s amendment discarding the pseudonym ‘Robert Vigo’ in favour of his real name.
The book, published in 1951, contained three stories by Elizabeth Jane Howard and three by Robert Aickman. Revised typescript for We Are For The Dark: Six Ghost Stories. Until I started my research, though, I couldn’t be certain whether they were surmountable.īL Add. I realised there were several obstacles, however, and that any one of them might cause there to be a major shortcoming in the finished book. The more I found out about Aickman, the more interested I became in the man, and in 2020 I decided to write his biography.
Benjamin little misfortune archive#
There are also collections of Aickman’s waterways papers at the National Archive in Kew and at the National Waterways Museum Ellesmere Port in Cheshire. The Guiseley archive was ultimately acquired by the British Library in 2017.
With my partner, Rosalie Parker, we produced an inventory of what was in the archive and we borrowed material to publish The Strangers and Other Writings (Tartarus Press, 2015) collecting together previously unpublished fiction and non-fiction. At that time, Aickman’s manuscripts and typescripts were being stored in a spare bedroom. I was lucky enough to first see Aickman’s literary archive in 2014 when I visited his literary executor in Guiseley, West Yorkshire. Another was his campaigning, largely successful, for the restoration of the inland waterways of Britain. I soon discovered that Aickman’s literary activities (he was also an editor of ghost story anthologies and wrote two volumes of autobiography) were just one part of his life. I first came across Robert Aickman (1914-1981) as the author of ‘strange stories’ (his own term), psychological tales that updated the traditional ghost story to the requirements of a more ‘knowing’ late twentieth century. Robert Aickman at Gledhow Gardens, London.
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