Showing results by author "William Morris" in All Categories

News from Nowhere (1890) is the best-known prose work of William Morris. The novel describes the encounter between a visitor from the 19th century, William Guest, and a decentralized and humane socialist future. Set over a century after a revolutionary upheaval in 1952, these 'Chapters from a Utopian Romance' recount his journey across London and up the Thames to Kelmscott Manor, Morris's own country house in Oxfordshire.

A true-crime collection culled from the crime files of the New York Times best-selling series, Notorious USA.

With contributions by: William Boyd, Candice Carty-Williams, Imtiaz Dharker, Roddy Doyle, Pico Iyer, Robert Macfarlane, Andy Miller, Jackie Morris, Jan Morris, Sisonke Msimang, Dina Nayeri, Chigozie Obioma, Michael Ondaatje, David Pilling, Max Porter, Philip Pullman, Alice Pung, Jancis Robinson...

This complete edition spans 2,400 years (431 BCE–1944) in 40 hours, 155 speeches, and 52 speakers, including foundational addresses by Gandhi and Mao—voices that shaped modern Asia. Begin in 431 BCE with Demosthenes, whose structural genius remains the DNA of modern expression. Traverse Athens’ zenith via Pericles’ Funeral Oration, Alexander’s volatile proclamations, and Rome’s crisis in Cicero’s showdown with Cataline—featuring Caesar’s sole surviving senate address and Mark Antony’s incendiary eulogy.

Although William Morris is known primarily as a designer, he was also a writer of poetry and prose. The novel News from Nowhere (subtitled An Epoch of Rest Being Some Chapters from a Utopian Romance) is his best-known prose work and describes a humane socialist future as experienced by William Guest, who is transplanted there from the 19th century. Set in London and Oxfordshire, the novel takes place in 2090, over a century after a revolutionary upheaval. It remains a distinctive literary contribution to the concept of the utopian ideal.

Following the deeds of the powerful Norse gods, such as Odin, Thor and Loki, and filled with a host of fantastic creatures and objects containing magical properties, the tales in Norse Mythology will conjure up a world of heroism and romance that will enthrall listeners.

"The Wood Beyond the World" is perhaps the first modern fantasy novel to unite an imaginary world with the element of the supernatural and is thus the precursor of much of present-day fantasy literature. The protagonist, (Golden Walter), gets married when he is a young man. His wife betrays him with another, so in his sorrow and to avoid a feud with her family, he sets off to sea.

"The Wood Beyond the World" is a fantasy novel by William Morris, perhaps the first modern fantasy writer to unite an imaginary world with the element of the supernatural, and thus the precursor of much of present day fantasy literature. It was first published in hardcover by Morris' Kelmscott Press in 1894.

Step into the enchanting world of The Hollow Land by William Morris, narrated by Christopher Mireider. This timeless medieval fantasy tells the tale of a mystical quest through lush forests, ivy-clad castles, and an otherworldly land hidden beyond the horizon. Filled with themes of chivalry, romance, and adventure, Morris’s richly descriptive prose invites listeners into a dreamlike landscape where courage and destiny intertwine.

In a captivating tale that laid the groundwork for modern high fantasy, Hallblithe, a brave warrior of the House of Raven, embarks on a daring quest to rescue his kidnapped troth-plight maiden, the Hostage. Captured himself, he finds unlikely companionship with the giant Puny Fox as they set sail for the Isle of Ransom. Their journey leads them to the enchanting Land of the Glittering Plain, where Hallblithe must choose between the seductive offer of eternal youth and the hand of the Kings daughter or the unwavering pursuit of his beloved. Originally published in 1890 in the English ...

The Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood began as a group of painters, including Dante Gabriel Rossetti and William Holman Hunt, who wished to reject the stern and academic strictures of current painting and return to the simpler and more uncomplicated days before the Italian High Renaissance and the days of Raphael. The movement was short lived but very influential and, as well, was taken up by a number of different arts.

The birth of liberation movements in the C19th saw a rise in fighting for the rights of workers. William Morris believed decries the belief “not that Commerce was made for man, but that man was made for Commerce”, with the profit motive that renders all work miserable when “It is right and necessary that all men should have work to do which shall be worth doing, and be of itself pleasant to do; and which should be done under such conditions as would make it neither over-wearisome nor over-anxious.”

News from Nowhere (1890) is a seminal work that weaves together utopian socialism and gentle science fiction, crafted by the visionary artist and socialist pioneer William Morris. The narrative follows William Guest, who, after attending a meeting of the Socialist League, drifts into a dream-like future where society thrives on shared ownership and democratic control of production. In this idyllic world, there is no private property, towering cities, or forms of authority‚Aîmoney, divorce, courts, prisons, and class distinctions are absent. Instead, this agrarian community flourishes as its...

William Morris was born in Walthamstow, London, on 24 March 1834 and is regarded today as a foremost poet, writer, textile designer, artist and libertarian. Morris began to publish poetry and short stories in 1856. Morris' fascination with the ancient Germanic and Norse peoples dominated his writing, and he was the first to translate many of the Icelandic sagas into English. He also published limited-edition illuminated style books, with his design for The Works of Geoffrey Chaucer standing out.

The Wood Beyond the World is a captivating fantasy novel by William Morris, often hailed as one of the first modern fantasy writers to weave an imaginary realm with supernatural elements, paving the way for contemporary fantasy literature. While his use of archaic language may pose a challenge for some modern readers, it enriches the narrative with a unique atmosphere. Morris viewed his fantasies as a revival of medieval chivalrous romances, leading to intricate plots filled with interconnected adventures. In this tale, Walter embarks on a quest, leaving behind his unfaithful wife and father ...

Welcome to the world of shadows, cloaked in perpetual starlight; its denizens are a mysterious and frightening breed. And sometimes, just sometimes, their eldritch whispers and murmurs can cross the boundaries of reality and enter our darkest dreams. Richard Groller and his troupe of dead and living poets pull back the veil in The Book of Night, revealing the terrifying denizens of the shadows.

When the wife of Golden Walter betrays him for another man, he leaves home on a trading voyage to avoid the necessity of a feud with her family. However, his efforts are fruitless, as word comes to him en route that his wife's clan has killed his father. As a storm then carries him to a faraway country, the effect of this news is merely to sunder his last ties to his homeland. Walter comes to the castle of an enchantress, from which he rescues a captive maiden in a harrowing adventure (or rather, she rescues him).

This Magic Moment is a heartwarming true story about a white insurance executive's three-decade friendship with four legendary African American singers and their remarkable journey together. Three were Rock and Roll Hall of Famers - Prentiss Barnes and Harvey Fugua of The Moonglows, Bill Pinkney of The Original Drifters. The fourth was Rufus McKay, a Mississippi treasure and lead singer of The Red Tops. The book is a celebration of the power of music, friendship and trusting God's plan.

The Well at the World's End: Book 1 – The Road Unto Love introduces Ralph of Upmeads, a young prince who defies his father’s wishes to embark on an adventure. Driven by tales of a mystical well with life-giving waters, Ralph sets out on a journey filled with danger, romance, and wonder. This foundational fantasy novel has influenced greats like Tolkien and Lewis—an essential listen for fantasy lovers.

March - the third month of the year in the Gregorian calendar brings with it the Spring Equinox and the promise of warmer days and shorter nights. Our selected poets, including Swift, Yeats, Morris, Swinburne, and Austin, of course provide the words to match the mood.