Weaving between the historical, personal and cultural, award-winning author Philip Hoare reveals a web of creative minds and artistic iconoclasts fired with the revolutionary genius of William Blake. In 1973, Derek Jarman set off from London to film the stones of Avebury. He was following in the footsteps of his hero, Paul Nash, who had photographed Dorset's ancient megaliths a generation before. Both artists had an overarching guiding star for whom the mysterious site was a utopian dream of a better world - a visionary who had died long ago yet remained electrically alive to them. In this alluring and strange poetic odyssey, Philip Hoare traces the vast and enduring legacy of William Blake. Reaching out of the past and far into the future, Blake's work draws together the natural world and the metaphysical realms, launching his uproarious spirit into the lives of countless artists, filmmakers, poets, writers, musicians, eccentrics and rebels. That same spirit of protest and radicalism continues to inspire us today, with Blake's promise of absolute freedom and the possibility of positive change. Gold title * Philip Hoare is an incredibly well thought of author.
His books are consistently well reviewed, and Leviathan, the first of his sea trilogy, went on to win the Samuel Johnson Prize. He has a number of famous fans who will be excited for this book, and could potentially come out for it, including Patti Smith, Olivia Laing, John Waters and Jim Jarmuisch. * Albert and the Whale saw real growth in Philip's sales, shipping 7k hardbacks into the trade. * Explores many different artists across history, often linking them by their relationships to the sea and natural landscapes. There is a particular focus on Dorset and London as locations, and artists include Paul Nash, Oscar Wilde, Francis Bacon, David Bowie, Algernon Blackwood, Graham Robertson, and more. * Topical themes: sexuality and queerness, the Sublime, fear of science destroying art (ie the printing press vs AI) Competition: souvenir; fassbinder thousands of mirrors; Byron: A Life in Ten Letters; songs of innocence; bright star green light; vs the World. michael bracewell; jon savage; ian penman; jon higgs; patti smith; olivia laing; maggie nelson; Andrew Stauffer; john higgs;.