“On awakening I appeared to myself to have a distinct recollection of the whole, and taking my pen, ink, and paper, instantly and eagerly wrote down the lines that are here preserved. At this moment I was unfortunately called out by a person on business from Porlock”

(Coleridge, 1817)

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Who was the person from Porlock? What was his/her business exactly? Did he actually come from Porlock? We only have Colerdige’s word for that. Moreover, did he actually exist (the Man from Porlock) or was he merely a figment of Coleridge’s imagination?  If so, then why was he “invented”, or rather, why did Coleridge feel the need to invent him? And why Porlock? All these, and more, are questions I intend to answer in due course. But first of all, let us ask why this matters, why it is important, and what distinction may be drawn between imagination and Imagination.

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introduction to The Man From Porlock? (IMB, 2025)