Awake!

A new look at the life and works of William Blake, revealing the full complexity and enduring legacy of this deeply spiritual, politically radical figure.

In the 200 years since his death, William Blake has become a household name. Many love the visionary artist, poet and writer. Yet many also 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, one that takes him at his word. Bringing together Blake’s poetry, his arresting images and his passionate writings, alongside lively biographical sketches, Vernon shines a new light on this brilliant thinker’s vivid worldview. Like us, Blake lived in a tumultuous era of warfare, discontent, rapid technological change, and a deepening estrangement of humanity 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, key to his importance in today’s world.

Written both for longstanding Blake-lovers and for those unfamiliar with his work, Awake! reveals Blake’s potential as an invigorating and hopeful guide for our modern age.