The most significant events in the history of books on the 28th of November 1582: William Shakespeare and Anne Hathaway pay a £40 bond for their marriage licence. 1628: John Bunyan is born. He wrote much of his defining work, The Pilgrim’s Progress (1678), while imprisoned in Bedford Jail. As well as the […]
The history of the classic hymn ‘Jerusalem’ and its literary origins ‘Jerusalem’ is one of the most famous hymns around, a sort of alternative national anthem for England (and some, especially those of a republican persuasion, prefer it to ‘God Save the Queen’). But as with most things which we […]
Here are five of William Blake’s greatest paintings related to books – whether because the illustrations accompanied Blake’s prophetic books or other literary work (such as his poems) or because they actually feature books in a more literal sense. 1. Urizen with his book. In Blake’s own mythology, Urizen (the name is […]