Charlie Blackfield

Writings

Most articles are available as PDF by clicking on their titles.

Bristol Airport expansion plans
(First published in the Redland Quaker Meeting Newsletter, 2009)

In 2002, I decided to give up on plane journeys, a resolution I have kept ever since. This campaigning article not only provides a lot of facts about Bristol International Airport's expansion scheme, but also revels in the delights of non-air travels.

Illustration by Ann Xiao for my short film
Sea Level Wise (2007)

The Way of Hope
(First published in Young Quaker, 2004)

English version of my fairytale Der Weg der Hoffnung, an allegorical autobiography. The German text was written in 1994 and so full of symbols and imagery that, over the years, I kept coming back to the text many times, trying to figure out what it meant. In 2003 I delivered an English version at a candlelit storytelling night as part of a workshop. People who listened to it encouraged me to write up the English version of the story and to publish it in Young Quaker magazine.

A Ministry of Open Doors. Chelsea Methodist Church since 1903
Published 2003 by Chelsea Methodist Church, 97 pages, 18 illustrations

Leading up to the centenary of Chelsea Methodist Church's premises on the King's Road, I spent about 18 months researching and writing this history of the church. The book not only makes use of archive material, but also of many first-hand accounts from people involved in the life of the church over several decades. The book was launched at the church's centenary celebration in May 2003.
Printed on recycled paper. Distributed by: Chelsea Methodist Church, 155a King's Road, London SW3 5TX, Web site www.chelseamethodist.org.uk

Of fictious characters and roaring tigers – or a testimony of overcoming depression
(First published in Young Quaker, 2002)

One of my most personal articles that explains the significance of my pseudonym Charlie Blackfield.

Questions of Identity among 'Buddhist Quakers'
(Quaker Studies, Vol. 6/1 [2001], pages 80-105)

This journal article was written as part of my MPhil research The Spirituality of Buddhist Quakers in Britain, for which I conducted a postal survey as well as some in-depth interviews. This Quaker Studies article is based on a paper presented to the Worship in Birmingham Project Annual Conference, University of Birmingham, in June 2000.
Quaker Studies is published by the Quaker Studies Research Association.

German articles

Mein Nachbar Ernst T. (First published in Graswurzelkalender 1998)
A few years after I wrote this short story, my then line-manager called me the least ambitious person he'd ever met. Maybe he was right?

Hilfe! Polizei! – Die Entwicklung der Polizei als Spiegelbild einer paranoiden Gesellschaft (First published in Graswurzelrevolution, 1997)
No doubt my most anarchist article to date whose call for abolishing the police was even too radical for some fellow anarchists.

Gedanklicher Ausritt nach dem Austritt (First published in Der Quäker, 1996)
In 1995 I temporarily resigned my membership in the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers). One year later I encountered Rex Ambler's writings and started to have second thoughts.

Mehrheitsdiktatur und Konsensprinzip (First published in Graswurzelrevolution, 1996)
An exploration of majority decision-making versus consensus decision-making, naturally written from an anarchist perspective.

Der Weg der Hoffnung (First published in Der Quäker, 1994)
In my opinion, this is simply the most inspired text I've ever written. It all came to me during the afternoon of 7 May 1994, with only marginal amendments the next day. A fairytale that is kind of an allegorical autobiography, the text is now also available in English.

This page was last updated on 29 December 2010