William Blake was born one street over from The Society Club, at what is now a Patisserie Valerie. The poet-painter has been described by Peter Ackroyd, author of London: The Biography, as the “most powerful and significant philosopher or thinker in the course of English history”. Join us on the afternoon of Saturday November 12th for a walk, talk, and drink, led by Irish poet and passionate Blakean Niall McDevitt.

Despite spells in Lambeth and Sussex, Blake lived almost all of his life in central London, and his work captures a spirit of the city that is present in all ages. He himself described the abiding role of the poet as a bard “Who Present, Past, & Future, sees”. Typically, a comprehensive Blake tour would drift from Mayfair to Stand, but for this walk – commissioned by The Society Club –  McDevitt will focus exclusively on the important Soho sites in Blake’s life.

On this late Autumn day we’ll meet at the club, wonder the streets for an hour, and then return for food, hot drinks, and discussion. No Blake expertise required, though feel free to bring along your favorite poem. As the famous quote goes – originally written as a romantic riposte to the neoclassical artist Joshua Reynold – “mere enthusiasm is the all in all…Passion and expression are beauty itself”.

Tickets for the walk are £10. Click here to reserve a space. 

Facebook event here: https://www.facebook.com/events/408219712899813/