Author Event! Mark Vernon's Awake! William Blake & the Power of Imagination

Join us on November 4th as we host Mark Vernon in conversation with Leah Brooksher to discuss his latest release, Awake! William Blake and the Power of the Imagination. Signed copies of the book will be available in-store for purchase.

About the book:

In the 200 years since Blake’s death, the visionary artist, poet and writer has become a household name, often beloved. Yet many struggle to comprehend his kaleidoscopic ideas; how they speak to human longings and the challenges of living in anxious times.

Philosopher and psychotherapist Mark Vernon provides a fresh route into Blake, taking him at his word. Exploring this brilliant thinker’s passionate writings, arresting artworks and fascinating life, Vernon illuminates Blake’s vivid worldview. Like us, he lived in a tumultuous era of war, discontent, rapid technological change, and human estrangement from nature. He exposed the dark sides of political fervour and social moralising, while unashamedly celebrating love and liberty. But he also conversed with prophets and angels, and was powerfully, if unconventionally, religious. If we take this seriously—not easy, in secular times—then Blake can help us to unlock the transformative power of imagination.

Written for both longstanding fans and unfamiliar readers, Awake! reveals Blake as an invigorating and hopeful guide for our modern age.

About the author:

Mark Vernon is a London-based psychotherapist, writer and former Anglican priest. A keen podcaster and a columnist with The Idler, he speaks regularly at festivals and on the BBC. He has a PhD in Philosophy, and degrees in Theology and Physics. His previous book topics include Dante, Plato and Christianity.

About the moderator:

Leah Brooksher is a PhD candidate in the department of English at Brown University, where she studies Romantic literature and philosophy. Her writing has appeared in European Romantic Review, and her research has been supported by a fellowship from Yale University’s Lewis Walpole Library.

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