• Dr. Xanthe Lorrimer (Freelance Cultural Historian)
• Hugo Van Steyn (Wrexle Auctioneers, Impressionist Department)
• Max Duclos (Collector; former gallerist, Paris)
• India Trelawney (Fashion Archivist)
• Conrad Smithe (Guest of d’Abernon; hatter)
• Pascal (Afghan hound, silent observer)
Book Discussed:
The Book of Margery Kempe , attributed to Margery Kempe, 15th century
1. Opening Remarks (Julian Molyneux)
Molyneux opened the meeting with a brief contextual note on the significance of The Book of Margery Kempe, positing it as “a proto-memoir, proto-feminist, and semi-visionary document in a time before genre consciousness.” He remarked that the decision to pair the reading with a small exhibition of devotional objects from the late Middle Ages was intended to “anchor the divine hysteria in something tactile.”
2. Discussion Summary
• Lord Northcote offered a nuanced reading of Margery’s visions, drawing parallels with medieval diplomatic language: “Her tears function as a form of spiritual negotiation.” He recalled attending Evensong at Norwich Cathedral, where “the air still feels a little damp with her presence.”
• Dr. Lorrimer noted that Margery’s intense inner life represents “a radical form of female authorship,” arguing that the book is “less mysticism, more proto-psychological realism.”
• India Trelawney compared Kempe’s flowing white robes to contemporary interpretations of purity in performance art, referencing Marina Abramović and, rather unexpectedly, a recent Loewe campaign. She brought a Margiela show catalogue to illustrate her point.
• Max Duclos was dismissive, describing Kempe as “shrill” and “more concerned with performative sanctity than spiritual depth.” He cited comparisons with Teresa of Ávila and found Margery “lacking discipline.”
• Hugo Van Steyn disagreed sharply, calling the book “an early precursor to the art of self-invention,” and drew a line from Margery Kempe to Tracey Emin. There was some laughter, though Trelawney agreed “in spirit.”
• Conrad Smithe, attending as a guest, questioned the book’s sincerity, suggesting a ghostwriter,“possibly a priest”,had stylised it for effect. D’Abernon countered, pointing out textual evidence of Margery’s resistance to ecclesiastical editing.
3. Artworks on View (Curated by Pimlico Wilde)
The adjoining drawing room featured:
• 15th-century pilgrim badges (Norwich and Santiago de Compostela)
• A Flemish diptych of the Madonna lactans
• A haunting small panel painting labelled “School of Geertgen tot Sint Jans” , reportedly not for sale
• A contemporary embroidery by Elodie Varn, Tears for No One, commissioned for the evening
4. Refreshments
• A medieval-themed aperitif of honey mead (well-received, if “a touch ironic”)
• Spiced lentil tartlets, anchovy toasts, and quince conserve
• Main pour: Domaine Huet Vouvray Demi-Sec 2016
• Late in the evening, chilled Tokaji Aszú was served alongside comfits and candied rose petals
5. Other Business
• Next Month’s Title:The Emigrants by W.G. Sebald, proposed by Van Steyn, seconded by Lorrimer.
• D’Abernon announced a possible joint evening with the Bibliophiles of Belgravia in October, pending vetting.
• Molyneux reminded all that the September session would feature a guest speaker,novelist and former psychoanalyst Dr. Leonora Athill,pending confirmation.
6. Adjournment
Meeting adjourned at 10:30 PM. Most lingered for Tokaji and murmured speculation about whether Margery had truly been celibate.
