MICHAEL RICHARDSON has published widely on surrealism, and is the general editor of The International Encyclopedia of Surrealism (Bloomsbury, 2019). Among the books he has authored or edited are Georges Bataille, The Absence of Myth (1991), George Bataille: Essential Writings (1994), Refusal of the Shadow: Surrealism and the Caribbean (1996), and Surrealism and Cinema (Bloomsbury, 2006).

Existence is Elsewhere presents a fresh perspective on surrealism, highlighting its role as a significant contributor to the history of ideas rather than confining it to the realms of art history and literature. By expanding his expert analysis beyond Europe and the interwar period, Richardson enhances our understanding of surrealism as a dynamic and intellectually vibrant international movement.

• Introduction1. Poetry and Philosophy in Nineteenth-century France 2. Hegel and the Surrealist Imagination3. Intimations from Ancient Egypt4. Heraclitus and the Dynamic of Existence5. Parmenides and Existence as ‘Other’6. Schelling and the Ages of the World 7. Novalis and Poetry’s Revolutionary Potential8. The Spectre of Nietzsche9. The Materiality of the World10. Fourier and Utopian VisionBibliographyAppendix

MICHAEL RICHARDSON has published widely on surrealism, and is the general editor of The International Encyclopedia of Surrealism (Bloomsbury, 2019). Among the books he has authored or edited are Georges Bataille, The Absence of Myth (1991), George Bataille: Essential Writings (1994), Refusal of the Shadow: Surrealism and the Caribbean (1996), and Surrealism and Cinema (Bloomsbury, 2006).

Existence is Elsewhere presents a fresh perspective on surrealism, highlighting its role as a significant contributor to the history of ideas rather than confining it to the realms of art history and literature. By expanding his expert analysis beyond Europe and the interwar period, Richardson enhances our understanding of surrealism as a dynamic and intellectually vibrant international movement.

• Introduction1. Poetry and Philosophy in Nineteenth-century France 2. Hegel and the Surrealist Imagination3. Intimations from Ancient Egypt4. Heraclitus and the Dynamic of Existence5. Parmenides and Existence as ‘Other’6. Schelling and the Ages of the World 7. Novalis and Poetry’s Revolutionary Potential8. The Spectre of Nietzsche9. The Materiality of the World10. Fourier and Utopian VisionBibliographyAppendix