London Blakeans: the legacy of William Blake in contemporary small-press and independent publishing networks in London

Journal article

This article examines a cluster of London-based small and independent presses, from the 1960s onwards, whose participants identify the eighteenth-century poet-artist William Blake as an important model for their publishing activities. Drawing on data collected through interviews with these practitioners, here termed 'London Blakeans', the article demonstrates that these groups represent a distinctive formation within both the history of independent publishing and the creative reception of Blake's work. Part 1 introduces key contexts, setting up the prominence of Blake-as-model within discourses around DIY and countercultural print media, assessing the historical foundation for Blake's reputation of 'independence' within small-press publishing networks, and characterising the political valences of Blake's adoption by these predominantly left-leaning groups. Part 2 presents a chronological redescription of Blakean small and independent publishing within London from the 1960s to the present day, drawing substantially upon interviews with writers, artists, and publishers within these networks. In presenting this material within the framework of publishing history, the article documents a series of texts and practices that have otherwise eluded archives and serious scholarly attention.

Authors: Ritchie, CA

• Publication status: Published
• Peer review status: Peer reviewed
• Publisher: Chadwyck-Healey Ltd
• Journal: Publishing History
• Volume: 89
• Pages: 29-73
• Publication date: 2025-11-01
• Acceptance date: 2024-04-10
• ISSN: 0309-2445
• Language: English
• Keywords: William Blake; counterculture; DIY; independent publishing; London; psychogeography; zines