Diary drawings: mental illness and me

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• Author:

  Bobby Baker

• Publisher:

  Profile Books

• Year:

  2010

• Pages:

  224

• ISBN:

  9781846683749

This unique book functions on many levels: as a rich and rewarding visual experience; a fascinating insight into the interplay between art, mental health and society; and an utterly compelling account of a personal journey.

Mind Book of the Year judges Fay Weldon, Blake Morrison and Michele Roberts chose 'Diary Drawings' from more than 100 entries as this year's greatest literary contribution to increasing understanding of mental health issues.

The work, which is a collection of drawings created over a decade of her life, is a poignant visual documentary of Bobby’s experiences of mental (and later physical) ill-health, as well as her eventual recovery. Originally intended to be private, these drawings were shown in a hugely popular exhibition at the Wellcome Collection in 2009.

The combination of drawings and writing provides a graphic, often darkly comic insight into the life of an artist grappling with huge internal upheavals. As well as an introductory essay by author Marina Warner, 'Diary Drawings' includes essays by Bobby and by her daughter Dora Whittuck, a clinical psychologist.