Personal landscapes1997

The work of British writers living abroad during World War II is the focus of this intriguing volume from Jonathan Bolton. Personal Landscapes: British Poets in Egypt during the Second World War takes its title from a verse periodical, Personal Landscape, which published the work of British poets who lived and wrote in Egypt in the 1940s. Bolton examines the poetry of such distinguished writers as Lawrence Durrell, Bernard Spencer, G. S. Fraser, and Keith Douglas, arguing that their work served as the central poetical achievement of the decade. In addition, Bolton goes on to explore the larger realm of the literature of exile, its uniqueness to the twentieth century, its connection to war poetry, and its presence in the work of these poets. Concluding with a look at the influence of these poets on the direction of British poetry after the war, Personal Landscapes is a glimpse into the world of some remarkable artists at a pivotal period in twentieth-century literature.