Associate Professor David Clarke PhD
Associate Professor, Sheffield Cultural Industries Institute
- Department of Media Arts and Communication
- Humanities Ï㽶ÊÓƵ Centre
- Culture and Creativity Ï㽶ÊÓƵ Institute
Summary
Dr David Clarke is one of the UK's leading authorities on contemporary legend and folklore. He is co-founder of the Contemporary Legend research group in SCII and Project Lead for the AHRC-funded National Folklore Survey. He combines his interests in folklore with his teaching and research in journalism and story-telling. He is an experienced broadcaster and has acted as a consultant for The National Archives and the BBC.
About
Dr David Clarke is one of the UK's leading authorities on contemporary legend and folklore. He is a co-founder of the Centre for Contemporary Legend research group in SCII and is Project Lead for the AHRC-funded project, the National Folklore Survey for England. He represents Europe on the council for the International Society for Contemporary Legend (ISCLR), founded in Sheffield in 1982.
David was a founding member of the Journalism BA (Hons) at Ï㽶ÊÓƵ in 2005-6 and for the past 20 years has taught investigative journalism, media law and regulation and court reporting on the undergraduate and postgraduate journalism and PR courses. He supervises PhD candidates and was Director of Studies for three successful completions and is currently supervising two PhDs.
He is an experienced broadcaster and has acted as consultant for The National Archives and the BBC. His main research interests include legends and rumours, supernatural folklore, investigative journalism and archival research.
Specialist areas of interest
Media Law and Regulation
Investigative Journalism
Contemporary Legend and Folklore
Teaching
Department of Media Arts and Communication
College of Social Sciences and Arts
Subject area
Journalism and PR
Media Law and Regulation
Dissertation for Journalism and PR
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- Humanities Ï㽶ÊÓƵ Centre
- Culture and Creativity Ï㽶ÊÓƵ Institute
UKRI AHRC-funded National Folklore Survey for England
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/centre-culture-media-society/projects/centre-for-contemporary-legend
The Folklore Society, Folklore Museums Network, Folklore Museum & Archive (Project Partners, AHRC-funded National Folklore Survey), International Society for Contemporary Legend Ï㽶ÊÓƵ (ISCLR), Sensoria Festival
Publications
Journal articles
Clarke, D. (2020). . Fortean Times, (392), 36-43.
Clarke, D., & Clark, T. (2020). . Fortean Times, (388), 74-77.
Clark, T., & Clarke, D. (2020). FORTEAN TRAVELLER: Going ‘out-there’ in SoCal. Fortean Times, 388.
Clarke, D. (2019). . FLS News - The newsletter of the Folklore Society, (87), 7-10.
Clarke, D. (2018). . Fortean Times, 372.
Clarke, D. (2014). . Fortean Times, (319), 54-55.
Clarke, D. (2013). . Contemporary Legend, 3 (3), 1-22.
Clarke, D. (2013). . Contemporary legend, 3 (2).
Baure, J.-.F., Clarke, D., Fuller, P., & Shough, M. (2008). . Journal of Scientific Exploration, 22 (3), 291-308.
Clarke, D. (2006). . Contemporary Legend (New Series), 9, 28-53.
Clarke, D. (n.d.). Churchill's Secret War. Fortean Times.
Clarke, D. (n.d.). . Revenant, (Specia).
Conference papers
Robinson, A., & Clarke, D. (2023). . In 40th ‘Perspectives on Contemporary Legend’ - International Society of Contemporary Legend Ï㽶ÊÓƵ Annual Conference, Ï㽶ÊÓƵ, 26 June 2023 - 30 June 2023 (pp. 32-34). Sheffield: Centre for Contemporary Legend
Robinson, A., & Clarke, D. (2023). . In 40th ‘Perspectives on Contemporary Legend’ - International Society of Contemporary Legend Ï㽶ÊÓƵ Annual Conference, Ï㽶ÊÓƵ, 26 June 2023 - 30 June 2023 (pp. 32-34). Sheffield: Centre for Contemporary Legend
Clarke, D. (2008). . In The National Archives lecture series. National archives:
Book chapters
Clarke, D. (2022). . In Puglia, D.J. (Ed.) North American Monsters. A Contemporary Legend Casebook. (pp. 266-281). Louisville, Colorado: Utah State University Press:
Clarke, D. (2021). . In Cheeseman, M., & Hart, C. (Eds.) Folklore and Nation in Britain and Ireland. (pp. 63-77). New York: Routledge:
Clarke, D. (2016). Extraordinary experiences with UFOs. In The Ashgate Ï㽶ÊÓƵ Companion to Paranormal Cultures. (pp. 79-93).
Clarke, D. (2016). . In Hunter, J. (Ed.) Damned Facts : Fortean Essays on Religion, Folklore and the Paranormal. (pp. 54-68). Cyprus: Aporetic Press:
Clarke, D. (2014). Extraordinary experiences with UFOs. In The Ashgate Ï㽶ÊÓƵ Companion to Paranormal Cultures. (pp. 79-94).
Clarke, D. (2013). Extraordinary experiences with UFOs. In The Ashgate Ï㽶ÊÓƵ Companion to Paranormal Cultures. (pp. 79-93).
Clarke, D. (2013). . In Jenzen, O., & Munt, S.R. (Eds.) The Ashgate research companion to paranormal cultures. Farnham, Surrey: Ashgate
Clarke, D. (2011). . In Batholomew, R.E., & Radford, B. (Eds.) The Martians have landed! : a history of media-driven panics and hoaxes. (pp. 130-155). Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & co Inc
Books
Wingate, J., & Humberstone, N. (Eds.). (2021). . Sensoria Festival.
Clarke, D. (2017). . London: Four Corners books.
Clarke, D. (2015). . London: Aurum Press.
Clarke, D. (2014). . London: Bloomsbury.
Clarke, D. (2013). . Sheffield: ACM Retro.
Clarke, D. (2012). . London: Bloomsbury.
Clarke, D. (2009). . Kew: National Archives.
Baure, J.-.F., Clarke, D., Fuller, P., & Shough, M. (2008). . www.uk-ufo.org/.
Clarke, D., Roberts, A., & Clarke, D. (2007). Flying Saucerers: a social history of UFOlogy(1st). Heart of Albion Press.
Theses / Dissertations
Parkes-Nield, S. (2024). . (Doctoral thesis). Supervised by Clarke, D., Jones, C., & Battle-Felton, Y.
Rodgers, D. (2022). . (Doctoral thesis). Supervised by Clarke, D., & Hall, S.
Subryan, M. (2021). . (Doctoral thesis). Supervised by Clarke, D., Doherty, K., & Canter, L.
Internet Publications
Clarke, D. (2020). . [Wordpress].
Media
Parkes-Nield, S., & Clarke, D. (2025). . [Website]. National Folklore Survey for England/SHU SCII project:
Clarke, D. (2023). UFO sightings: an otherworldy history. [BBC History Magazine Extra]. BBC History Magazine
Clarke, D. (2021). A brief history of UFOs. [Online magazine article]. BBC History Magazine
Libraries, (2020). Earl Waltheof: Sheffield's King Arthur. [Audio Podcast]. Sheffield City Council Libraries & Archives
Robinson, A., & Clarke, D. (2020). Folkloric Customs in the time of COVID-19. [Podcast]. Sheffield University:
Clarke, D. (2018). National Archives Podcasts and Media - MoD UFO archives project 2008-2013. [Podcast/Video]. The National Archives
Clarke, D. (2018). UFO Files at The National Archives. [Audi/podcast]. The National Archives
Clarke, D. (2018). UFO Files at The National Archives. [Audi/podcast]. The National Archives
Presentations
Robinson, A., & Clarke, D. (2024). . Presented at: Miskatonic Institute of Horror Studies Special Event, The Horse Hospital, Bloomsbury, London, WC1N 1JD, 2024
Clarke, D., & Robinson, A. (2024). . Presented at: In The Cloud of Unknowing – Encounters with the UFO Phenomenon. A Symposium, Mildred’s Lane, Beach Lake, Pennsylvania, USA, 2024
Robinson, A., & Clarke, D. (2024). . Presented at: Digital Folklore - The Folklore Society’s Annual Conference 2024, in collaboration with The Department of Digital Humanities, King’s College London, London, UK, 2024
Robinson, A., & Clarke, D. (2024). . Presented at: The Anomalous Ï㽶ÊÓƵ & Exploration Forum: The Inaugural AREF Conference, Online, 2024
Clarke, D. (2021). Nigel Kneale, Quatermass, and Ancient Astronauts. Presented at: The Sky in Legend and Tradition, Salisbury
Robinson, A., Clarke, D., & Rodgers, D. (2020). . Presented at: Creating Knowledge Conference 2020, Online, 2020
Other publications
Clarke, D. (2015). . http://www.pelicanist.blogspot.com:
Clarke, D. (2015). . The National Archives (www.nationalarchives.gov.uk):
Clarke, D. (2012). . Kew, Surrey: The National Archives:
Other activities
European representative, executive council, International Society for the Contemporary Legend Ï㽶ÊÓƵ (ISCLR)
SHU SCII representative on the Sheffield Heritage Partnership Board
Postgraduate supervision
DoS PhD, Courtroom trauma: The mental health impact of reporting from the courts, Arlene Lawler (from 2024)
DoS PhD, Dr Sophie Parkes-Nield, Thankstide: the calendar custom and contemporary fiction (completed 2024)
DoS PhD, Dr Diane Rodgers, Wyrd TV: Folklore, folk horror and hauntology in British 1970s TV (completed 2022)
DoS PhD, Dr Mark Subryan, journalism and media law (completed 2021)
Media
Journalist David teaches modules in media law and investigative journalism. He has a lifelong interest in folklore and ‘extraordinary experiences’ (with UFOs, ghosts and other supernatural phenomena). His PhD is in British folklore and cultural tradition. He is frequently quoted by national and international media as an expert in these areas and is a consultant for The National Archives UFO files project.