The Library of Avalon Patron and Trustees:
The Officers and Trustees elected for 2023/4:
The Chair: Richard JL Newman e-mail: loachair@gmail.com
The Secretary: Miranda Scholefield
The Treasurer: Zehavit Huddy
Our Patron: Sorita D’Este
Sorita d’Este is an author, researcher and publisher who manifests her knowledge and passion for the Mysteries through her work.Her research and writing pushes at the boundaries of Western Esoterica and beyond, often questioning and challenging the status quo and inspiring others towards experiential mysticism with firm foundations build on lessons learned from history, standing positively in today and looking with enthusiasm towards the future. She passionately believes that it is possible to manifest creativity, positivity, love and enchantment through the creation of independent, free-thinking and more spiritual communities, with firm foundations in truth, natural balance and generosity.
She is the author of more than 20 published books, including Hekate Liminal Rites, Artemis Virgin Goddess of the Sun and Moon, Visions of the Cailleach and The Isles of the Many Gods. She has also edited 6 anthologies, including Hekate Her Sacred Fires, Priestesses Pythonesses and Sybils and Horns of Power. Her work has also been published in numerous books, magazines, journals and part-works. For a more complete list of her published work, see Bibliography in the Books section.When she is not writing herself, nor walking the liminal boundaries in the gaps between civilisation and the wilderness, she works as a publisher, bringing the work of others into print.
She is the founder and owner of Avalonia, a small independent publisher of books on magic, myth and folklore. Avalonia’s mission is to expand the esoteric horizons by publishing books which pushes at the boundaries, presenting fresh and new research on a wide range of subjects, authors published by Avalonia include David Rankine, Jan Fries, Paul Harry Barron, Katie Gerrard, Kim Huggens, Christopher Alan Smith, Jim Baker, Marion Pearce and Georgi Mishev. You can find out more by visiting www.avaloniabooks.co.uk
The Chairman: Richard JL Newman (Swami Prem Sudhindra)
Richard was previously the Secretary of the LoA from 2014 till becoming Chairman in 2023. He studied Psychology and Metaphysics towards an MA at the University of Edinburgh. In 1982 he took Sannyas and also went on to work over a number of years with Frank Natale, founder of the Natale Institute. He also researched and practiced mediumship with Steven Speed in London during the 80’s and worked at the Humaniversity Institute for therapy and education in the Netherlands, becoming a co-founder of the London Humaniversity in Crouch End, London. He worked as a television producer and presenter in the Netherlands for 15 years as well as a theatre director and set designer for numerous productions in various London Fringe Theatres. He moved to Glastonbury in 2008 where he has since worked as a Hypnotherapist. He became an LoA member and volunteer in 2010.
Trustee: Zehavit HuddyI started working in a kibbutz library in Israel at the age of 12. Whilst some view this as child Labour, I have nothing but fond memories. It was during the 80s and all the cataloguing, issues and returns were done manually which made me very familiar with the Dewey decimal system. A limited staff with very little budget – we often had to re- bind our books ourselves. I worked there until the age of 18 when I was drafted to the IDF. I was assigned to a history museum where I worked as an archivist for 2 years. I left Israel at the age of 20 and came to the UK, working in various public libraries as a library assistant. I watched the world change as computer systems where introduced.
During my time in University ( doing a BA in the archaeology of Western Asia) I worked in the UCL library . It cemented my love of working in Academic libraries. I continued working in public libraries, especially ones affiliated to universities such as Hendon and Middlesex university. I have been studying Kabbalah, Alchemy and Hermeticism for a long time so working as a volunteer in the Library of Avalon is a dream come true.