Blake is an archetypal misunderstood genius who worked without reward, mocked, dismissed and misinterpreted. Yet from his ignoble end in a pauper’s grave, Blake now occupies a unique position as an artist who unites and attracts people from all corners of society, and a rare inclusive symbol of English identity. How does a storyteller begin to explain a person as complicated and misunderstood as Blake? Higgs will explain the thinking behind his new book William Blake Versus the World, and why his background in pre-school animation proved to be invaluable. He will show that although we begin by trying to understand Blake, we will ultimately discover that it is Blake who helps us to understand ourselves.