ABOUT

The Director

Arie van Ameringen is an educator, author, and publisher from the Netherlands, with a passion for spiritual inquiry for over fifty years. He underwent his schooling with the Steiner-Waldorf pedagogy in the Netherlands, studied biology and biochemistry, obtained a master's degree in linguistics from UQAM on Quebec French, and then pursued his Steiner-Waldorf pedagogy training in Switzerland. He founded Perceval Editions in 2001. Since then, he has overseen the smooth running of the editions with his work in editing, writing, translation, and event organization. A polyglot, a Slavophile, and a lover of classical music, he aims to share his enthusiasm for Perceval Editions' fundamental mission: addressing current questions about humanity and its evolution.

THE PUBLISHING HOUSE

Perceval Editions is a small but vibrant publishing house founded by two colleagues, Jacques Racine and Arie van Ameringen, who were teachers at the Rudolf Steiner School in Montreal in 2001. The original idea of the project was to establish a French-language publishing house inspired by anthroposophy in Quebec, thus making available works that had never before been translated into French. Subsequently, the management broadened its horizons, inspired by the humanistic values of anthroposophy, and also added an English-language component. It now supports authors who are committed to addressing current questions about human beings and their evolution. The published works delve into science (biochemistry), nutrition, education, poetry, painting, meditation, special education, and philosophy. Ultimately, Perceval Editions cherish the idea of ​​paying homage to the book in general; it is recognized as an object of beauty, erudition, personal, relational, and communal emancipation.

Why this name?

Perceval is a character in literature who is engaged in a spiritual quest, the quest for the Grail; he is in search of his deep values, his identity, and his task in the world. The name Perceval, 'perce val,' is of Gaulish origin and indicates a direction to be taken through a valley. Oh, and interestingly: Perceval is also, in Gaulish, a derivative of 'petros,' which means 'small stone.' For us, books can resemble small stones of understanding the world, accompanying us on our personal journey of seeking meaning and then serving as landmarks.

Anthroposophy, What Is It?

The term anthroposophy is composed, in ancient Greek, of "anthropos," which can be translated as "human being," and "sophia," meaning "wisdom." Rudolph Steiner (1861-1925) is a prolific Austrian writer recognized as the founder of this movement. He authored over twenty works on philosophy, occultism, and spirituality, and delivered over six thousand lectures, transcribed today in more than three hundred volumes from stenographic notes. His main works include "The Philosophy of Freedom" (1893), "Theosophy" (1904), and "An Outline of Occult Science" (1904). He describes anthroposophical thought as "a path of knowledge seeking to lead the spiritual in the human being to the spiritual in the universe."

By spiritual, we can understand what is invisible to the naked eye, that which prompts us to recognize that there is something greater than ourselves, to which we can aspire. This perspective is present in the majority of the world's religions and has been throughout history. Anthroposophy, or the science of the spirit, invites us to rediscover universal principles, transcending any religious confession. Rudolf Steiner proposes a rigorous and scientific (verifiable) approach to broaden our knowledge and inspire our actions.

Although anthroposophy offers an inner spiritual path, we can observe how it has opened up new avenues in various domains of life. This demonstrates its practical and original impact in addressing contemporary issues. It has influenced all fields: agriculture, education, economy, science, arts, medicine, and social sciences. Some examples include over 1000 Waldorf schools in around fifty countries, original results recognized by mainstream medicine especially in the fight against infections, environmentally responsible agriculture, and valuable insights for visual artists and performing artists.

For all these reasons, anthroposophy represents an inspiration for the publishing house.