Brian Sydney Barritt (1934–2011) was an English author, artist, and

counterculture A counterculture is a culture whose values and norms of behavior differ substantially from those of mainstream society, sometimes diametrically opposed to mainstream cultural mores.Eric Donald Hirsch. ''The Dictionary of Cultural Literacy''. Ho ...

figure. He served in the British army, and was a friend and collaborator to such notables as

Timothy Leary Timothy Francis Leary (October 22, 1920 – May 31, 1996) was an American psychologist and author known for his strong advocacy of psychedelic drugs. Evaluations of Leary are polarized, ranging from bold oracle to publicity hound. He was "a her ...

William Burroughs William Seward Burroughs II (; February 5, 1914 – August 2, 1997) was an American writer and visual artist, widely considered a primary figure of the Beat Generation and a major postmodern author who influenced popular cultur ...

, and Alex Trocchi. He was particularly active in the

Beatnik Beatniks were members of a social movement in the 1950s that subscribed to an anti-materialistic lifestyle. History In 1948, Jack Kerouac introduced the phrase "Beat Generation", generalizing from his social circle to characterize the undergr ...

psychedelic Psychedelics are a subclass of hallucinogenic drugs whose primary effect is to trigger non-ordinary states of consciousness (known as psychedelic experiences or "trips").Pollan, Michael (2018). ''How to Change Your Mind: What the New Science ...

, and

Krautrock Krautrock (also called , German for ) is a broad genre of experimental rock that developed in West Germany in the late 1960s and early 1970s among artists who blended elements of psychedelic rock, avant-garde composition, and electronic music, a ...

scenes.

Books

Barritt was the author of several books, including ''Whisper'', ''The Road of Excess: A Psychedelic Autobiography'' and ''The Nabob of Bombasta''. He also collaborated with Timothy Leary on his book, ''Confessions of a Hope Fiend''.

Relationship to Timothy Leary

Barritt first made contact with Leary when Leary was on the run after his escape from prison. Barritt wrote to Leary in Algeria, asking him to write a foreword to the then unpublished, ''Whisper''. Leary had seen parts of the book before which had been handed to him whilst he was a prisoner at San Luis Obispo, USA. By the time Leary received his letter, Barritt was already in Algiers waiting to see him. Their relationship deteriorated by the early 1980s with Leary describing Barritt as a 'lying junky' in his 1983 autobiography, '' Flashbacks''.

Collaborations with musicians

Barritt collaborated with

Martin Glover Martin Glover (born 27 December 1960), better known by his stage name Youth, is a British record producer and musician, best known as a founding member and bassist of the rock band Killing Joke. He is also a member of the Fireman, along with Pa ...

from

Killing Joke Killing Joke are an English rock band from Notting Hill, London, England, formed in 1979 by Jaz Coleman (vocals, keyboards), Paul Ferguson (drums), Geordie Walker (guitar) and Youth (bass). Their first album, '' Killing Joke'', was released ...

on his novel, ''The Nabob of Bombasta''. He was later introduced to the rave scene by

The Orb The Orb are an English electronic music group founded in 1988 by Alex Paterson and Jimmy Cauty. Known for their psychedelic sound, the Orb developed a cult following among clubbers "coming down" from drug-induced highs. Their influential 1 ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Barritt, Brian 1934 births 2011 deaths Counterculture