Hilary Bracegirdle on Beryl Cook

Author Hilary Bracegirdle discusses her new biography of painter Beryl Cook, drawing on a rediscovered family archive, at St Peter's Church in Ely.

Hilary Bracegirdle presents her illustrated biography of Beryl Cook, built on unprecedented access to a recently rediscovered family archive of letters, photographs and personal papers. The material reveals the friends, collaborators and correspondents — including Barbara Ker-Seymer, Edward Lucie-Smith and Ruby Venezuela — who shaped Cook's career, alongside fan letters showing how her work resonated with women, LGBTQ+ and working-class audiences. The talk promises fresh insight into Cook's private methods and inspiration, placing her beyond the 'naive' label.