News

Anders Hallengren | Nominated for Best Experimental Album of the Year Award

The Swedenborg Society's esteemed President, Anders Hallengren, is a Swedish author and scholar, a poet and also a composer. His most recent album of experimental music, OPHIR - Opus Operatum has been nominated for the national MANIFEST Music Award in Sweden. Manifest is an independent critics' award which celebrates a diversity of music; in this way it ressembles the Mercury Music Prize in Britain. The Manifest award show will be held at Berns in Stockholm on February 3 2012. We extend our congratulations to Anders for his nomination and wish him the best of luck.

Anders will be speaking in Swedenborg Hall on Saturday 28 January. He will not be performing his music but discussing Swedenborg's philosophy of love. Everyone is welcome to attend. More info here.

Christmas Books E-Newsletter

Our Christmas Books E-Newsletter has been sent out. It features an invitation to The White Bear King, a Christmas Storytelling Perfomance for Children on Saturday 10 December plus information on 3 new publications available now: Blake's London: The Topographic Sublime by Iain Sinclair, Gardens of Heaven and Earth by Kristin King and Madeleine Waller: Portraits. Also find the Short Film Festival results and more Swedenborg-related news, books and events. Happy reading for a Happy Christmas! Please contact nora@swedenborg.org.uk if you would like to be added to the mailing list. Read the Swedenborg Society Christmas E-Newsletter here.

New Publication | Blake's London by Iain Sinclair

BLAKE'S LONDON: THE TOPOGRAPHIC SUBLIME is a revised lecture Iain Sinclair gave at Swedenborg Hall in 2007. The lecture was part of a larger conference held in celebration of the 250th birthday of William Blake, and organized conjointly by Goldsmiths College and the Swedenborg Society.

This volume is printed as a limited edition pocket hardback. It is the first in series of volumes edited by Stephen McNeilly making available talks, photographs and and other items from the Swedenborg Archive. Available now. BUY THIS BOOK.

All books ordered before Christmas will be GIFT-WRAPPED free of charge.

Event | Saturday 10 December | The White Bear King: a Christmas Performance for Children

Sally Pomme Clayton is the Swedenborg Society's new Artist in Residence. An established writer and storyteller, Sally has written several children's books, co-founded the Company of Storytellers and performs regularly for children at the British Museum and at the National Gallery. We are extremely pleased to present Sally's first ever performance in Swedenborg Hall. THE WHITE BEAR KING is a 'mysterious Scandinavian wonder tale', brought to life by Sally Pomme's dynamic and energetic performance. This performance is a perfect Christmas outing and suitable for those aged 6 and above. 

Sally Pomme Clayton's artist residency is supported by Arts Council England. Admission is free but capacity is limited so advance booking is highly recommended.  Refreshments will be also served. More info here.

Swedenborg Short Film Festival | Results

The Swedenborg Short Film Festival took place on Friday 18 November. Over 100 people attended the screenings, which featured 9 films shorlisted for the award Best Film, plus three special screenings, Carousel by Paul O'Kane, American Water by Cartwright & Jordan and Kiling Time by Bridget Smith. Judges Rosie Cooper and Ian Hunt picked the shortlist and attended the festival. At the closing of the festival, the award for BEST FILM was given to HISAB by Ezra Wube (image, above). HISAB is an animated film based on Ethiopian urban folk story. This piece is created using stop action animation and paint on canvas. The entire animation is painted on a single surface, with each scene painted over the last.

Thank you to everyone who attended and contributed towards a very special evening. See details of HISAB and other shortlisted entries here.

Paul Tecklenberg | Westminster Open Exhibition | 5 - 18 November

Former Swedenborg Society Artist in Residence (2009-10) Paul Tecklenberg will be exhibiting his work influenced by Emanuel Swedenborg, at the Westminster Open 2011, from 5 - 18 November. We highly recommend that you go see it! Admission is free. Venue: SW1 Gallery, London. More info here.

Don Paterson | Performance Reading | Thurs 24 October

Award-winning poet DON PATERSON will perform his work, with ghost folk song from MacGillivray as featured on BBC Radio 3, both in Swedenborg Hall, 'one of London's most atmospheric venues' (The Guardian).

Doors open at 6.30 for a 7pm start. Limited capacity. Booking still open. More info.

Autumn E-Newsletter

The Swedenborg Society Autumn E-Newsletter has been sent out and is now available to read online. It includes news of Madeleine Waller's Artist in Residence exhibition; Jozef Van Wissem's performance in Swedenborg Hall; the Bloomsbury Festival; two evening events featuring Brian Catling, Don Paterson and MacGillivray; details of Images of the Afterlife in Cinema, a new book in the bookshop; and news of a Swedenborg Ballet opening on New York's Broadway. Read the Autumn E-Newsletter online here.

Performance | 6 October | Iain Sinclair & MacGillivray

Thursday 6 October 2011 | 7.00 pm | Swedenborg Hall, 20-21 Bloomsbury Way London WC1A 2TH

YOU CARRY FIRE: Iain Sinclair & MacGillivray. The author Iain Sinclair will be excavating the future and reinterring the past, with vocalist MacGillivray, whose haunting songs will evoke murdered mermaids and Radiophonic soundscapes. BOOK YOUR PLACES NOW. More info here.

This is the first performance in a series of events featuring Iain Sinclair, Brian Catling, Don Paterson and Alan Moore; 'billiard playing angels, dirty smoke, broken rivers and burning tongues spread across four lone nights'. Listen to each author read - after ghost folk song from MacGillivray.

Swedenborg Film Season | Robert Bresson Trilogy

The summer is, apparently, over ... But do not despair! The autumn heralds the return of the Swedenborg Film Season ... Over three consecutive Friday evenings, (16, 23, 30 September), we will showcase the wonderful work of Robert Bresson, often described as ‘a philosopher with a camera’. These three landmark films, Diary of a Country Priest (1951), A Man Escaped (1956) and Pickpocket (1959) explore themes which are arguably ‘Swedenborgian’, in a cinematic style which is both original and captivating. We highly recommend that you take this opportunity to witness these radical and fascinating works, in the unique atmosphere of Swedenborg Hall. Admission is free but capacity is limited so please book in advance. More info here.

Open House London | 17 September 2011

1 - 4 pm | Swedenborg House, 20-21 Bloomsbury Way, London WC1A 2TH

On 17 September, the Swedenborg Society will open its doors to the public as part of Open House London, the annual festival celebrating London architecture. No advance booking required. Tours of the builsing will take place every half hour.

More info

Alex Murray's Staff Blog

The website now features a regular staff blog from the Society. Alex Murray is a recent graduate in English Literature & Film Studies and our Assistant Librarian; he is involved in creating a systematic database for the library collection, which will soon be available online. Read his blog, detailing his discoveries from the Society's fascinating Archive, here.

Summer E-Newsletter

We have just sent out the latest online newsletter. It contains the latest news from the Society; a feature on Memoirs of Swedenborg, a new publication; an article on Victorian poet Elizabeth Barrett Browning; information about Anders Hallengren, our new President; a short review of the Romantics exhibition at Tate Britain; and a recommendation to follow in Swedenborg's footsteps on the 1711 London Walk. To view the e-newsletter online click here. To subscribe to the mailing list please email nora@swedenborg.org.uk.

Download the latest E-Newsletter as a PDF document: 1.18 Mb

Call for Papers: Victorian Spiritualities

The Leeds Centre for Victorian Studies welcome proposals for papers on any of the following themes, or indeed any other aspects of Victorian spiritualities, for its conference on the 17 March 2012:

• exploration of spiritual themes in poetry, drama, fiction, hymn-writing and sermons
• art and iconography on spiritual themes
• spiritual writings from different Christian denominational perspectives and other world faiths
• Theosophy, Swedenborgianism, Transcendentalism, Spiritualism and other radical approaches
• the spiritual views of agnostics and religious sceptics
• pedagogical approaches to Victorian spirituality
• the experience of teaching the history, culture, and literature of Victorian sprituality within the HE sector

Please send a brief abstract of 250-300 words to Jane de Gay at j.degay@leedstrinity.ac.uk by 12 September 2011. Ideally, all papers will be published in a Leeds Working Papers volume in advance of the colloquium, and will need to be submitted by 19 December 2011. Colloquium convenor: Revd Dr Jane de Gay.

Call for Entries: Swedenborg Short Film Festival 2011

• Deadline for Submissions: 30th September 2011
• Festival Screenings: 18th November 2011, 6 - 9 pm

We are very pleased to announce that the Swedenborg Short Film Festival 2011 is now open for entries. Following the success of last year, we hope the festival will continue to establish itself as an annual landmark event on the UK film calendar. Featuring films of 30 mins or less, the heart of the Festival is to showcase the latest new and established talent. Films should respond to themes encountered in the work of scientist, philosopher, radical theologian and mystic Emanuel Swedenborg (1688 - 1772). Submissions are invited on a variety of themes and genres. Selected submissions will be screened to a public audience at Swedenborg Hall; at the closing of the festival an award will be given for Best Film. Find more information and download an application form here.

Event | Brian Dillon & Momus | In Conversation

Swedenborg Hall | 27 June 2011 | 7.00 pm

NOW FULLY BOOKED

The Swedenborg Society is very proud to be hosting a collaborative event with Sternberg Press. Acclaimed authors Brian Dillon and Momus in conversation, to celebrate the co-launch of Sanctuary (Sternberg Press, May 2011) and The Book of Japans (Sternberg Press, May 2011). Admission costs £5.00. Doors open at 6.30 pm for a 7 pm start. Limited capacity; advance booking highly recommended via nora@swedenborg.org.uk or (020) 7405 7986. More information here.

May E-Newsletter

The latest Swedenborg Society electronic newsletter is now available to read online. It includes news on the Parlour Principia event; an article on Swedenborg and Baudelaire; a recommendation to buy Edward Chell: In Conversation; a review of Enter the Void; and more Swedenborg-related news and events.

Simply email nora@swedenborg.org.uk if you would like to join the mailing list.

The Bloomsbury Project

On Friday 15 April, Richard Lines, Secretary of the Swedenborg Society took part in the Bloomsbury Project Conference at University College London. You can read his talk on 'Swedenborgianism and Pugilism: The William White Affair' here. You can also view Richard Lines' Short History of the Swedenborg Society 1810 - 1910 and more key information on the Society, on the Bloomsbury Project website here.

Iain McGilchrist Lecture

Thank you to everyone who attended the talk by Iain McGilchrist on 7 April. It was a wonderful event; Iain McGilchrist spoke with wit and intelligence about the divided brain and its historical implications. We also heard some very interesting questions from the floor. If only there was more time to answer them! Forthcoming lectures at the Swedenborg Society will feature writer and mythographer, Marina Warner, author Iain Sinclair, among others to be confirmed ... Watch this space!

New Publication

Edward Chell: In Conversation

With Amy Halliday

Designed & Edited by Stephen McNeilly
Limited Edition
£6.95

As part of the major site-specific exhibition, Swedenborg House: Fourteen Interventions, Edward Chell created Ten Steps to Heaven, an installation piece consisting of fourteen handrails and a plaque. In this articulate and revealing interview with Amy Halliday, Edward Chell explains how Swedenborg's ideas inform the striking design of his artwork; its conceptual correspondences to Swedenborg's scientific investigations and his spiritual conscience, to types of knowledge and forms of narrative. Ten Steps to Heaven is still on show in Swedenborg House, so please feel free to come and have a look! This publication is fully illustrated and available in the Swedenborg Society Bookshop now. BUY THIS BOOK

February/March E-Newsletter is now available to read online

Just click here for news on a forthcoming lecture by Iain McGilchrist, a review of The Western Esoteric Traditions by Nicholas Goodrick Clarke, an exhibition review of The Ancient Egyptian Book of the Dead at the British Museum, an article on Swedenborg and life on other planets, news of a new Swedenborg Opera and much much more! Please email nora@swedenborg.org.uk if you would like to join the mailing list.

Read the February/March E-Newsletter online here.

BOOK LAUNCH: 29th January: Heaven and Hell a new translation by KC Ryder (Swedenborg 2011)

We are very pleased to present this new translation of Heaven and Hell. On Saturday 29th January, as part of Swedenborg's Birthday Meeting, we will officially launch the new edition. The launch will take place from 4 - 4.30 pm, preceding a lecture by Dr David Lister. The new book will be available to buy at a 20% discount.

Refreshements will be served and everyone is welcome to attend. However capacity is limited so please contact nora@swedenborg.org.uk if you are planning to come and celebrate the launch of this much-anticipated publication.

Christmas Books E-Newsletter

The Swedenborg Society CHRISTMAS BOOKS E-NEWSLETTER has now been sent out! It includes recommended titles for certain readers, special offers and a feature article on the new Heaven and Hell. Read it online here. Read the November e-newsletter here. Read the September e-newsletter here. View past issues of the e-newsletter here.

Please email nora@swedenborg.org.uk if you would like to join the mailing list. For more NEWS, including information on recent events please click here.

New Swedenborg Society Publication in the Bookshop

We would like to recommend our new publication in association with Paul Tecklenberg's artist residency: In Conversation: Paul Tecklenberg (Swedenborg Society, 2010), available now in the Swedenborg Society bookshop. A signed limited edition, the publication includes an interview with the artist, colour images and an audio CD from his installation work Random Passages which was part of our bicentenary exhibition Swedenborg House: Fourteen Interventions. BUY THIS BOOK.

Madeleine Waller, Artist in Residence: Shortlisted for the Taylor Wessing Photographic Portait Prize 2010

We are very proud to have the photographer Madeleine Waller as the Swedenborg Society's current Artist in Residence. Madeleine was very recently shortlisted for the Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize 2010; her work Wet and Dry, Laura is one of 60 portraits chosen from over 6,000 entries. It can now be seen as part of the Taylor Wessing Prize exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery, among other shortlisted works. For her residency at Swedenborg House, Madeleine is taking photographic portraits of members of the Society. These portraits will be on display as part of her residency exhibition next year. Please contact nora@swedenborg.org.uk if you would like to take part.

Madeleine Waller | Artist in Residence Exhibition | 24 - 28 October | 11am - 4.30 pm

The Swedemborg Society is proud to present its latest Artist in Residence, photographer Madeleine Waller. Madeleine completes her residency with the opening of an exhibition throughout Swedenborg House and with the launch of Portraits, a publication recording Madeleine's residency work. For her residency at Swedenborg House, Madeleine took photographic portraits of members and trustees of the Society, staff and other individuals connected with this historic but little known institution. These photographs are now displayed around Swedenborg Hall and digitally projected in Swedenborg Hall.

Entry for the opening is free. Admission is by appointment via nora@swedenborg.org.uk.