Chambers of Memory - Roaming the Mansions of Mnemosyne

Chambers of Memory is a book about Richard England’s life, career experiences and his rich
humanistic outlook. It is not an autobiography in the traditional sense of the word. It is not
composed and presented as a chronological linear narrative of his life and experiences. Rather, it
is disparate and fragmented in content and wideranging in scope. It focuses on various themes,
on his favourite buildings, architects, works of art, literary texts, poetry and musical compositions.
It also includes various anecdotes about his interactions with former teachers and educators,
prime ministers and politicians, popes and clergymen, fellow architects and students. Interspersed
in between the reams of text are some of his own favourite pieces of poetry and a selection of
some of his exquisitely executed freehand sketches.
Richard England’s interests go well beyond the realm of architecture. He is an accomplished
artist, poet, sculptor, photographer, and author. His erudite knowledge of various literary texts is
complemented with his lifelong passion for Opera. Richard is quintessentially a humanist, a
modernday uomo universale in the Renaissance tradition, embracing a wide spectrum of
interests and artistic pursuits. However, it should be stressed that to him these endeavours do not
have rigid boundaries, they are intrinsically fluid and permeable, all enriching in their own way.