William Blake was a religious nonconformist, deeply philosophical and political. In his recently published and highly acclaimed book, ‘Awake! William Blake and the Power of the Imagination’, Mark Vernon finds him
‘brilliant and enticing and whilst regularly delightful, also often not easy. But then transformation isn’t. To follow him is to trust his promise that powers of imagination can lead us to a side of life otherwise impossible to know.’
We invited Mark Vernon to join the ArtsFirst team, Niall and Michael, and Blake aficionados, Gareth Sturdy and Shirley Dent to consider the question of how Blake created innovative printing techniques to explore artistically and imaginatively the complex spiritual and philosophical discussions of his time.
Focusing on Blake’s printing techniques, Michael Owens leads a conversation about one of Blake’s most famous images, the frontispiece for his 1794 work ‘Europe a Prophecy’, popularly known as: The Ancient of Days. One of the reasons this work is so captivating isn’t just the image itself, but the way Blake made it, using his innovative process of illuminated printing — what he called the ‘Infernal Method’. We examine why this process was so unique and how it shaped his aesthetics.
We go on to look at how the artistic world responded to Blake’s work and how the cultural elite of his day saw him. Why does Blake seem more popular and relevant today than ever. Are we reading our own concerns into Blake, rather than letting him challenge us on his own terms?
And finally, does Blake still matter now? What makes him speak to us in the twenty-first century?”
Shirley Dent is an associate fellow of the Academy of Ideas and was formerly communications director. She is a communications specialist and consultant and lectures on public relations. Shirley researched the editorial and bibliographic history of William Blake’s works for her PhD, co-authoring a book on the subject with Jason Whittaker, Radical Blake.
Gareth Sturdy is a teacher of physics, mathematics and English. An organiser of the Academy of Ideas Education Forum, he regularly runs debates on education and current affairs. He is a trustee of the Blake Society, where he has a special interest in bringing the poet’s work into schools, and was part of the team responsible for laying the new monumental stone at Blake’s grave. He can be found on Twitter/X @stickyphysics.
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.
Blake, quoted by Vernon, and inscribed on his gravestone in Bunhill Fields:
I give you the end of a golden string,
Only wind it into a ball.
It will leaf you into Heaven’s gate
Built in Jerusalem’s wall.
Further reading:
Awake! William Blake and the Power of the Imagination, Mark Vernon, Hurst &Co, 2025
Finding Blake
