Photographer Gilbert McCarragher invites readers into the personal sanctuary of iconic queer artist Derek Jarman for the first time in Prospect Cottage: Derek Jarman’s House.

Prospect Cottage is often regarded as Jarman’s ultimate masterpiece, encapsulating his identity as a multifaceted artist, LGBTQ+ activist, and courageous human being.

While Prospect Cottage’s gardens in Dungeness are well-known, few people have seen inside the cottage. McCarragher’s book opens the door to Jarman’s unseen home. If Jarman’s garden is key to his lively and life-affirming outside universe, the house provides a microcosm of his inner worldview.

After Derek Jarman passed away, his partner Keith Collins inherited the cottage. Collins made only minor changes to the house, like adding curtains to prevent visitors to the garden from peeking inside.

Collins died suddenly in 2018. Gilbert McCarragher, a friend and neighbour, was then asked to document the cottage extensively. This was the first time a photographer had taken such detailed photographs of the cottage, which is considered an artwork in its own right.

McCarragher’s 160 photographs are presented room-by-room with reflective essays. Each essay explores the cottage’s history and the experience of photographing there.

Prospect Cottage: Derek Jarman’s House with photography by Gilbert McCarragher is published 4^th April by Thames & Hudson, £25.