Blake

by Daniel Hahn

A religious dissident, a radical, a poet, and an artist—William Blake is among the most captivating figures in cultural history. Tracing his life from his apprenticeship as an engraver to a student at the Royal Academy of Arts, where his outspoken views on both art and his peers gained him notoriety, this definitive guide to Blake's life offers a unique portrait of a man viewed by many of his contemporaries as eccentric to the point of insanity. Never a stranger to controversy, Blake's many adamant causes are outlined here, including the French Revolution, the sexual emancipation of women, and the abolition of self-denial from religious teaching. His most famous works—including the Songs of Innocence and Experience, The Marriage of Heaven and Hell, and his engravings—are also discussed.

112 pages, Paperback

First published August 15, 2010

About the author

British writer, editor and translator; author of a number of works of non-fiction, including biographies, history, and reading guides and for children and teenagers.

His translation of The Book of Chameleons by José Eduardo Agualusa won the Independent Foreign Fiction Prize in 2007. He is also the translator of Pelé's autobiography, and of work by novelists José Luís Peixoto, Philippe Claudel, María Dueñas, José Saramago, Eduardo Halfon, Gonçalo M. Tavares and others.

A former chair of the Translators Association and national programme director of the British Centre for Literary Translation, he is currently chair of the Society of Authors and on the board of trustees of a number of organisations working with literature, literacy and free expression, including English PEN. He is one of the judges for the 2017 Man Booker International Prize.

adapted from Wikipedia.