Writing
As well as making things, I also write books. Here are some of my main publications. Those that are still in print have links to independent bookstores, those that can be bought direct from the studio are doubled up with a listing in the Marketplace.
You can find my complete bibliography, including articles and out-of-print books here.
Selected interviews
Publications
Clayton, Ewan (ed.) Writing: Making Your Mark, The British Library 2019. Hardback and paperback ISBN 0712352481 & 9780712352482.
This book of the exhibition is lavishly illustrated in colour and contains a number of essays including Andrew Robinson on ancient scripts, Stan Knight on a history of Roman styles of writing as well as several chapters by Ewan. Ewan writes about what he learned about writing from his time at Xerox's Palo Alto Research Centre. He also interviews the text artist Brody Neuenschwander and Professor David Levy of the University of Washington in Seattle about the future of writing. Dr Angela Webb writes about handwriting research today. Full bibliography, 224 pages.
Clayton, Ewan, & KilBride, Jenny. The Guild, Clayton Studio 2019.
This is a limited-edition booklet, with handwritten cover by Ewan (all unique designs), paper cover and hand sewn. The pamphlet contains two essays about the Guild of St. Joseph and St. Dominic in Ditchling where both Ewan and Jenny used to work. They are individually numbered and signed by both authors.
Clayton, Ewan, 'Stroke, Body, Space' in Bell, Julian, Balchin, Julia, & Tobin, Claudia, (eds). Ways of Drawing, Artists' Perspectives and Practices, Thames & Hudson 2019, pp.198-207.
Essays by core staff teaching at The Royal School of Drawing. Ewan's short essay expands on his debt to the work of Rudolf Laban.
Clayton, Ewan. Il Filo D'Oro, Saggi Tascabili Bollati Boringheri 30,
Bollati Boringheri 2019.
A reprint of the Italian translation of The Golden Thread.
Besset, Florian (ed.) Le Geste fait Signe, exhibition catalogue. Barjac: Galerie La Quincaillerie 2018.
An exhibition of gestural calligraphy by nineteen European calligraphers, containing up to five colour and full-page illustrations for each artist.
Clayton Ewan. The Calligraphy of the Heart, Clayton studio, Brighton 1996 and 2018.
This 2018 re-issue is a limited-edition with hand-made paper covers and inserts of Ewan's calligraphy, hand sewn pamphlet. This booklet can only be bought from the studio direct. Ewan will be happy to sign your copy.
Clayton, Ewan. La Historia de la Escritura, El Ojo del Tiempo, Siruela 2016
The Spanish translation of The Golden Thread. It has been issued in both hardback and softback editions
Clayton, Ewan. and others in Sacred Letters, Sacred Words, Europa Scriptorium 2015 catalogue. Goldkronach: Wunderlich 2016
A slim catalogue in German and English of work produced by Mari Emily Bohley, Ewan Clayton, Michel D'Anastasio, Maya Huber, Izzy Pludwinski and Andrea Wunderlich during a week spent in Andrea Wunderlich's studio and then exhibited in Bayreuth Town Hall. The theme of our week encompassed a dialogue between calligraphers using Latin and Hebrew writing systems.
Clayton, Ewan. ‘Eric Gill’s Capital Letter’ in The Eternal Letter, Paul Shaw (ed.) MIT Press 2015, pp.85-105.
Tracing the evolution of Gill's lettering across media.
and also
Clayton, Ewan. ‘Gill’s Legacy’ in The Eternal Letter, Paul Shaw (ed.) MIT Press 2015, pp.133-138.
Exploring the lineage of Gill principal apprentices, their work and influence.
Cohen, H (ed.). 'Ewan Clayton in Conversation: The Grolier Club' Letters from New York: 8, New York Society of Scribes 2015.
This a small but well-illustrated publication recording an interview between Ewan and Christopher Calderhead held at the Grolier Club in New York City in 2013. At the time Ewan was living in a Cottage on Ditchling Common and just about to release The Golden Thread.
Clayton, Ewan, in The Journal of Modern Craft, Vol 8. Issue 6, 2015, pp.373-382.
A commentary on a previously unpublished primary source for Johnston's work and philosophy by Margaret Alexander. Alexander, who took private lessons from Johnston, kept notes from visits to the family in Ditchling in the 1930s. Both Heather Child and Justin Howes had intended to publish her manuscript but were unable to bring the project to fruition.
Clayton, Ewan. ‘Edward Johnston’, in Lamónica, Vincente (ed.) Tipografía Latinoamericana, Ed.Wolkowicz Editores Montevideo 2013, pp.32-43.
A brief survey, in Spanish, of Johnston's life and work.
Clayton, Ewan. 'The threads that connect' and 'A book of hours for the vernal equinox' in Vacher, Jean (ed.) Head, Hand, Heart: Reflections on a Practice. Exhibition Catalogue. The Crafts Study Centre 2013.
This exhibition, directed by Ann Hechle with assistance from Ewan Clayton and the Crafts Study Centre's Jean Vacher, looked at a lineage of development from Johnston's pupil Irene Wellington to Ann Hechle and Ewan Clayton, the major focus being on the work of Ann Hechle.
Clayton, Ewan. ‘The Burgert Handpresse’ in BIBLIOLOGIA An International Journal of Bibliography, Library Science, History of Typography and the Book. Pisa- Roma: Fabrizio Serra editore, a Vol. 7. 2012, pp. 177-194.
A review of the work of Hans Joachim Burgert's private press in Berlin.
Clayton, Ewan. La Calligrafia Del Cuore, The Calligraphy of the Heart, Italian translation, ACI Milano 2011 and 2022.
A small edition in Italian made for members of the Italian Calligraphy Association on the occasion of Ewan's workshops in Bobbio and Abano.
Clayton, Ewan. The Golden Thread: The Story of writing Atlantic Books 2013.
ISBN 9781848873629
A history of writing using the Roman alphabet from it's origins in Egypt down to the present day across media. This book is available in paperback. USA editions by Counterpoint (Berkley), Italian by Bollati Boringheri (Milan), Spanish by Siruela (Madrid), a Chinese edition is forthcoming in 2023.
Clayton, Ewan. Il frutto de Cambiamento, Il mondo riflesso nell'Evangelario di Lindisfarne. Lorini Artigrafiche 2010.
A translation into Italian by Claudio Castelli of Ewan's book on Lindisfarne with new photographs, designed by Claudio Castelli.
Clayton, Ewan. Edward Johnston: Lettering and Life, Ditchling Museum 2007.
Catalogue of an exhibition curated by Ewan on the centenary of the publication of Johnston's Writing, Illuminating, & Lettering (1906). Essays by Ewan and Phil Baines. Many illustrations, including family photographs lent by the Johnston family for the exhibition.
Clayton, Ewan. 'Workplaces for writing', Pen in Hand: Medieval Scribal Portraits, Colophons and Tools. Michael Gullick (ed.). The Red Gull Press 2006.
Ewan's contribution looks at depictions of the workplaces of medieval scribes from the point of view of a practising craftsman.
Clayton, Ewan. 'Valentine KilBride, a Ditchling Craftsman', Matrix 26, The Whittington Press 2006.
An essay about the life and work of Ewan's grandfather who was a silk weaver and dyer at the Guild of St. Joseph and St. Dominic at Ditchling. Illustrated with woodcuts by Michael Renton.
Clayton, Ewan. 'The Crisis in Japanese Traditional Crafts, a perspective from Ditchling', Traditional Japanese Arts and Crafts in the 21st Century, Reconsidering the Future, an international perspective, International Research Centre for Japanese Studies Kyoto 2006.
This paper was given at a conference in Kyoto in 2005, it draws together insights from Ewan's life at the Guild in Ditchling and as a researcher at Xerox PARC to comment on a crisis in traditional Japanese crafts.
Clayton, Ewan. 'Eight Photographs of Blackboard Demonstrations by Edward Johnston, 1926', Matrix 25. The Whittington Press 2005.
Using stenographic records of Johnston's lectures at the Royal College of Art Ewan reconstructs the lectures that relate to each photograph.
Clayton, Ewan, and Tahir, Athar. The Twain Shall Meet, Calligraph-art in Pakistan and the U.K. Pakistan Calligraph-art Association 2005.
Catalogue of an exhibition in Pakistan funded by the British Council curated by Athar Tahir with assistance from Ewan Clayton.
Clayton, Ewan. 'Gary Breeze' in Musaeum. Roche Court 2004.
Catalogue essay for the exhibition of work by Gary Breeze at Roche Court.
Olding, Simon and Carter, Pat. (eds.) Clayton, Ewan, 'Calligraphy and Lettering in the UK', Essays for the Opening of the Crafts Study Centre, Canterton Books 2004.
This chapter is review of calligraphy and lettering in the UK over the course of the twentieth century including an account of how it came to be left out of the curriculum for art schools.
Clayton, Ewan. 'David Jones and the Guild of St. Joseph and St. Dominic', in David Jones in Ditchling, Ditchling Museum 2003.
Edited by Derek Shiel and published by Ditchling Museum in 2003, with essays by Anthony Hyne, Ewan Clayton and Derek Shiel. This book accompanied the exhibition David Jones in Ditchling curated by Ewan Clayton, Jenny KilBride and Derek Shiel. Paperback, 47 pages, with illustrations. Jacket dark blue with silver lettering by Ewan, Ewan also designed the book. For signed copies go through to the Marketplace, otherwise order from Ditchling Museum.
Clayton, Ewan. Embracing Change: Spirituality and the Lindisfarne Gospels, Chaplaincy to the Arts in the Northeast 2003.
Robert Cooper provides the colour photography and Ewan the text. The text is an expanded version of a presentation he gave at a British Library study day on the Gospel book.
Click here to purchase from the marketplace, Ewan is happy to inscribe your copy.
Wilcox, Tim. Spring Lines: Contemporary Calligraphy from East and West, Ditchling Museum and the Edward Johnston Foundation 2001.
Catalogue for an exhibition that Ewan curated. Introduction from Ewan and Tim Wilcox. Essays on contemporary Arabic calligraphy, the development of Chinese calligraphy in the late twentieth century, Avant-garde Japanese calligraphy, Kazuaki Tanahashi on East Asian calligraphy: a cross cultural perspective and Thomas Ingmire on calligraphy research, a commission for Ditchling. Funded by the National Lottery.
Clayton, Ewan & Fleuss Gerald. Font: Sumner Stone and Calligraphy in a Digital Age, The Edward Johnston Foundation and Ditchling Museum 2000.
This book accompanied an exhibition FONT: Sumner Stone, Calligraphy and Type Design in a Digital Age shown at Ditchling Museum in 2000. It provided a rare insight into the creative process behind digital type and focussed on how the shape of our entire visual environment was changing at the beginning of the new century. Contains a key essay by Tom Perkins on proportion in Roman capitals. Paperback with illustrations. Funded by the National Lottery.
Clayton, Ewan, & Hechle, Ann. Findings in the calligraphic work and teachings of Irene Wellington 1904-1984 - with a tribute by Ann Camp. The Irene Wellington Educational Trust in association with the Perpetua Press 2021. ISBN 9781870882224.
Click here to purchase from the marketplace.