On the Record
National Memorial to Journalists on the Frontline
National Memorial Arboretum, Staffordshire, UK


“Black milk of daybreak we drink you at night”
--- From ‘Death Fugue’ by Paul Celan

Paul Celan’s words evoke the shadow of death—a shadow that journalists in conflict zones face daily. On the Record honours those who bore witness in the world’s most dangerous places, acknowledging that telling the truth is an act of courage, and that memory is the refuge for those lost too soon.

The memorial expresses absence to evoke presence. Fifteen weathering steel plates of varying sizes rise in a compact geometric arrangement, their verticality recalling the quiet order of war cemeteries. Each plate bears abstracted silhouettes of journalists in action—fragmented, overlapping, and unidentifiable—reflecting the chaos of conflict while allowing a subtle, subliminal sense of human connection to emerge. Presence is conveyed through absence, creating a liminal space for reflection.

Engraved on both sides of the plates are quotations from British war correspondents, anonymous and layered like a palimpsest of voices. A quote from Marie Colvin marks the front plate, providing a point of focus and remembrance.

Materials are deliberately simple: rusted Corten steel for the plates and limestone for benches and paving. The steel speaks to the fragility and impermanence of life; the limestone recalls the language of memorials. A circular paved area with gently curved benches ensures the memorial holds its presence within the woodland landscape, resonating alongside nearby features such as the Quaker and Tree of Life monuments.