John Berger
From Life
Will be published approx. on 15. September 2026
Book
Hardback
384 pages
978-1-80429-844-2 (ISBN)
Description
After John Berger's death, an extraordinary discovery surfaced in a Genevan bomb shelter: a complete, untouched archive of his 1960s life and work-a time capsule revealing how one of the twentieth century's most influential cultural figures was formed.
While cataloguing Berger's papers for the British Library, Tom Overton had grown close to the writer; this discovery transformed his project into the definitive biography of a man who reshaped how we see art, migration, labour, and storytelling.
Berger inherited trauma and radicalism, came of age in elite British institutions, and went on to become a painter, novelist, critic, and broadcaster. From Cold War London to the Alps, he forged a truly European-and globally resonant-voice grounded in deep, attentive observation. Overton uncovers the political, artistic, and emotional roots of this storytelling, and the forces that shaped Berger's gaze.
The book also traces Berger's collaborative ethic and his influence on figures such as Susan Sontag, Arundhati Roy, Michael Ondaatje, Geoff Dyer, and Complicite, as well as the enduring legacy of Ways of Seeing, A Seventh Man, A Fortunate Man, and Into Their Labours.
While cataloguing Berger's papers for the British Library, Tom Overton had grown close to the writer; this discovery transformed his project into the definitive biography of a man who reshaped how we see art, migration, labour, and storytelling.
Berger inherited trauma and radicalism, came of age in elite British institutions, and went on to become a painter, novelist, critic, and broadcaster. From Cold War London to the Alps, he forged a truly European-and globally resonant-voice grounded in deep, attentive observation. Overton uncovers the political, artistic, and emotional roots of this storytelling, and the forces that shaped Berger's gaze.
The book also traces Berger's collaborative ethic and his influence on figures such as Susan Sontag, Arundhati Roy, Michael Ondaatje, Geoff Dyer, and Complicite, as well as the enduring legacy of Ways of Seeing, A Seventh Man, A Fortunate Man, and Into Their Labours.
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Dimensions
Height: 234 mm
Width: 153 mm
Weight
567 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-80429-844-2 (9781804298442)
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Schweitzer Classification
Person
Tom Overton catalogued John Berger's archive at the British Library, and edited two volumes of his writing about art: Portraits and Landscapes, both published by Verso. He is currently an archive curator at the Barbican Centre in London. The Underground Sea, a new volume of Berger's writings on mines and mine-workers, co-edited with Matthew Harle, was published by Canongate in January 2024.