Lawrence Durrell
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Lawrence George Durrell (; 27 February 1912 – 7 November 1990) was an
expatriate An expatriate (often shortened to expat) is a person who resides outside their native country. In common usage, the term often refers to educated professionals, skilled workers, or artists taking positions outside their home country, either ...
British novelist, poet,
dramatist A playwright or dramatist is a person who writes plays. Etymology The word "play" is from Middle English pleye, from Old English plæġ, pleġa, plæġa ("play, exercise; sport, game; drama, applause"). The word "wright" is an archaic English ...
, and
travel writer The genre of travel literature encompasses outdoor literature, guide books, nature writing, and travel memoirs. One early travel memoirist in Western literature was Pausanias, a Greek geographer of the 2nd century CE. In the early modern per ...
. He was the eldest brother of naturalist and writer
Gerald Durrell Gerald Malcolm Durrell, (7 January 1925 – 30 January 1995) was a British naturalist, writer, zookeeper, conservationist, and television presenter. He founded the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust and the Jersey Zoo on the Channel Island o ...
. Born in
India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
to British colonial parents, he was sent to England at the age of eleven for his education. He did not like formal education, but started writing poetry at age 15. His first book was published in 1935, when he was 23. In March 1935 he and his mother and younger siblings moved to the island of
Corfu Corfu (, ) or Kerkyra ( el, Κέρκυρα, Kérkyra, , ; ; la, Corcyra.) is a Greek island in the Ionian Sea, of the Ionian Islands, and, including its small satellite islands, forms the margin of the northwestern frontier of Greece. The isl ...
. Durrell spent many years thereafter living around the world. His most famous work is ''
The Alexandria Quartet ''The Alexandria Quartet'' is a tetralogy of novels by British writer Lawrence Durrell, published between 1957 and 1960. A critical and commercial success, the first three books present three perspectives on a single set of events and characters ...
,'' published between 1957 and 1960. The best-known novel in the series is the first, '' Justine''. Beginning in 1974, Durrell published ''
The Avignon Quintet ''The Avignon Quintet'' is a five-volume series of novels by British writer Lawrence Durrell, published between 1974 and 1985. The novels are metafictional. He uses developments in experimental fiction that followed his ''The Alexandria Quartet'' ...
,'' using many of the same techniques. The first of these novels, '' Monsieur, or the Prince of Darkness,'' won the
James Tait Black Memorial Prize The James Tait Black Memorial Prizes are literary prizes awarded for literature written in the English language. They, along with the Hawthornden Prize, are Britain's oldest literary awards. Based at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland, Uni ...
in 1974. The middle novel, '' Constance, or Solitary Practices,'' was nominated for the 1982 Booker Prize. By the end of the century, Durrell was a bestselling author and one of the most celebrated writers in England. Durrell supported his writing by working for many years in the
Foreign Service Diplomatic service is the body of diplomats and foreign policy officers maintained by the government of a country to communicate with the governments of other countries. Diplomatic personnel obtains diplomatic immunity when they are accredited to o ...
of the British government. His sojourns in various places during and after World War II (such as his time in
Alexandria, Egypt Alexandria ( or ; ar, ٱلْإِسْكَنْدَرِيَّةُ ; grc-gre, Αλεξάνδρεια, Alexándria) is the second largest city in Egypt, and the largest city on the Mediterranean coast. Founded in by Alexander the Great, Alexandria ...
) inspired much of his work. He married four times, and had a daughter with each of his first two wives.


Early years in India and schooling in England

Durrell was born in
Jalandhar Jalandhar is the third most-populous city in the Indian state of Punjab and the largest city in Doaba region. Jalandhar lies alongside the Grand Trunk Road and is a well-connected rail and road junction. Jalandhar is northwest of the state ...
,
British India The provinces of India, earlier presidencies of British India and still earlier, presidency towns, were the administrative divisions of British governance on the Indian subcontinent. Collectively, they have been called British India. In one ...
, the eldest son of Indian-born British colonials Louisa (who was Anglo-Irish) and
Lawrence Samuel Durrell Lawrence Samuel Durrell (23 September 1884 – 16 April 1928) was a British engineer, best remembered as the father of novelist Lawrence Durrell and naturalist and writer Gerald Durrell. Early life Durrell was born in Dum Dum, north of Calcu ...
, an engineer of English ancestry. His first school was St. Joseph's School, North Point,
Darjeeling Darjeeling (, , ) is a town and municipality in the northernmost region of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located in the Eastern Himalayas, it has an average elevation of . To the west of Darjeeling lies the easternmost province of Nepal, ...
. He had three younger siblings— two brothers and a sister - naturalist
Gerald Durrell Gerald Malcolm Durrell, (7 January 1925 – 30 January 1995) was a British naturalist, writer, zookeeper, conservationist, and television presenter. He founded the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust and the Jersey Zoo on the Channel Island o ...
, Leslie Durrell and author
Margaret Durrell Margaret Isabel Mabel "Margo" Durrell (4 May 1919 — 16 January 2007) was the younger sister of novelist Lawrence Durrell and elder sister of naturalist, author, and TV presenter Gerald Durrell, who lampoons her character in his Corfu trilogy ...
. Like many other children of the British Raj, at the age of eleven, Durrell was sent to England for schooling, where he briefly attended St. Olave's Grammar School before being sent to St. Edmund's School,
Canterbury Canterbury (, ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, situated in the heart of the City of Canterbury local government district of Kent, England. It lies on the River Stour, Kent, River Stour. ...
. His formal education was unsuccessful, and he failed his university entrance examinations. He began to write poetry seriously at the age of fifteen. His first collection, ''Quaint Fragments'', was published in 1931, when he was 19. Durrell's father died of a
brain haemorrhage Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), also known as cerebral bleed, intraparenchymal bleed, and hemorrhagic stroke, or haemorrhagic stroke, is a sudden bleeding into the tissues of the brain, into its ventricles, or into both. It is one kind of bleed ...
in 1928, at the age of 43. His mother brought the family to England, and in 1932, she, Durrell, and his younger siblings settled in Bournemouth. There, he and his younger brother
Gerald Gerald is a male Germanic given name meaning "rule of the spear" from the prefix ''ger-'' ("spear") and suffix ''-wald'' ("rule"). Variants include the English given name Jerrold, the feminine nickname Jeri and the Welsh language Gerallt and Iris ...
became friends with Alan G. Thomas, who had a bookstore and would become an
antiquarian An antiquarian or antiquary () is an fan (person), aficionado or student of antiquities or things of the past. More specifically, the term is used for those who study history with particular attention to ancient artifact (archaeology), artifac ...
.


Adult life and prose writings


First marriage and Durrell's move to Corfu

On 22 January 1935, Durrell married Nancy Isobel Myers (1912–1983). It was the first of his four marriages. Durrell was always unhappy in England, and in March of that year he persuaded his new wife, and his mother and younger siblings, to move to the Greek island of Corfu. There they could live more economically and escape both the English weather, and what Durrell considered the stultifying English culture, which he described as "the English death". That same year Durrell's first novel, ''
Pied Piper of Lovers ''Pied Piper of Lovers'', published in 1935, is Lawrence Durrell's first novel. The novel is in large part autobiographical and focuses on the protagonist's childhood in India and maturation in London. It is followed by '' Panic Spring'', which ...
,'' was published by Cassell. Around this time he chanced upon a copy of
Henry Miller Henry Valentine Miller (December 26, 1891 – June 7, 1980) was an American novelist. He broke with existing literary forms and developed a new type of semi-autobiographical novel that blended character study, social criticism, philosophical ref ...
's 1934 novel ''
Tropic of Cancer The Tropic of Cancer, which is also referred to as the Northern Tropic, is the most northerly circle of latitude on Earth at which the Sun can be directly overhead. This occurs on the June solstice, when the Northern Hemisphere is tilted toward ...
.'' After reading it, he wrote to Miller, expressing intense admiration for his novel. Durrell's letter sparked an enduring friendship and mutually critical relationship that spanned 45 years. Durrell's next novel, ''
Panic Spring ''Panic Spring'' is a novel by Lawrence Durrell, published in 1937 by Faber and Faber in Britain and Covici-Friede in the United States under the pseudonym Charles Norden. It is set on a fictional Greek Island, Mavrodaphne, in the Ionian Sea ...
,'' was strongly influenced by Miller's work,Karl Orend, "New Bibles", ''Times Literary Supplement'' 22 August 2008 p 15 while his 1938 novel '' The Black Book'' abounded with "
four-letter word The phrase four-letter word refers to a set of English-language words written with four letters which are considered profane, including common popular or slang terms for excretory functions, sexual activity and genitalia, blasphemies, terms ...
s... grotesques,... ndits mood equally as apocalyptic" as ''Tropic''. In Corfu, Lawrence and Nancy lived together in
bohemian Bohemian or Bohemians may refer to: *Anything of or relating to Bohemia Beer * National Bohemian, a brand brewed by Pabst * Bohemian, a brand of beer brewed by Molson Coors Culture and arts * Bohemianism, an unconventional lifestyle, origin ...
style. For the first few months, the couple lived with the rest of the Durrell family in the Villa Anemoyanni at Kontokali. In early 1936, Durrell and Nancy moved to the White House, a fisherman's cottage on the shore of Corfu's northeastern coast at Kalami, then a tiny fishing village. Durrell's friend
Theodore Stephanides Theodore Philip Stephanides (Greek: Θεόδωρος Φίλιππος Στεφανίδης; 21 January 1896 – 13 April 1983) was a Greek- British doctor and polymath, best remembered as the friend and mentor of Gerald Durrell. He was also kno ...
, a Greek doctor, scientist, and poet, was a frequent guest, and Miller stayed at the White House in 1939. Durrell fictionalised this period of his sojourn on Corfu in the lyrical novel ''Prospero's Cell.'' His younger brother
Gerald Durrell Gerald Malcolm Durrell, (7 January 1925 – 30 January 1995) was a British naturalist, writer, zookeeper, conservationist, and television presenter. He founded the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust and the Jersey Zoo on the Channel Island o ...
, who became a naturalist, published his own version in his memoir ''
My Family and Other Animals ''My Family and Other Animals'' (1956) is an autobiographical book by British naturalist Gerald Durrell. It tells in an exaggerated and sometimes fictionalised way of the years that he lived as a child with his siblings and widowed mother on ...
'' (1954) and in the following two books of Gerald's so-called ''Corfu Trilogy,'' published in 1969 and 1978. Gerald describes Lawrence as living permanently with his mother and siblings—his wife Nancy is not mentioned at all. Lawrence, in his turn, refers only briefly to his brother Leslie, and he does not mention that his mother and two other siblings were also living on Corfu in those years. The accounts cover a few of the same topics; for example, both Gerald and Lawrence describe the roles played in their lives by the Corfiot taxi driver Spyros Halikiopoulos and Theodore Stephanides. In Corfu, Lawrence became friends with
Marie Aspioti Maria-Aspasia (Marie) Aspioti ( el, Μαρία-Ασπασία Ασπιώτη; 29 September 1909 – 25 May 2000), was a distinguished Corfiote writer, playwright, poet, magazine publisher and cultural figure who influenced the literary and cultur ...
, with whom he cooperated in the publication of ''Lear's Corfu.''


Pre WW2: In Paris with Miller and Nin

In August 1937, Lawrence and Nancy travelled to the Villa Seurat in
Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
to meet
Henry Miller Henry Valentine Miller (December 26, 1891 – June 7, 1980) was an American novelist. He broke with existing literary forms and developed a new type of semi-autobiographical novel that blended character study, social criticism, philosophical ref ...
and Anaïs Nin. Together with
Alfred Perles Alfred Perlès (1897–1990) was an Austrian writer (in later life a British citizen), who was most famous for his associations with Henry Miller, Lawrence Durrell, and Anaïs Nin. Life and works Born in Vienna in 1897, to Czech Jewish parents ...
, Nin, Miller, and Durrell "began a collaboration aimed at founding their own literary movement. Their projects included ''The Shame of the Morning'' and the ''Booster'', a country club house organ that the Villa Seurat group appropriated "for their own artistic . . . ends." They also started the Villa Seurat Series in order to publish Durrell's ''Black Book,'' Miller's ''Max and the White Phagocytes,'' and Nin's ''
Winter of Artifice ''Winter of Artifice'', published in 1939, is Anaïs Nin's second published book, containing subsequently alternating Novella, novelettes. 1939 Edition The original edition was published in Paris and identified as ''The Winter of Artifice'', thou ...
.'' Jack Kahane of the
Obelisk Press Obelisk Press was an English-language press based in Paris, founded by British publisher Jack Kahane in 1929. Manchester-born novelist Kahane began the Obelisk Press after his publisher, Grant Richards, went bankrupt. Going into partnership with ...
served as publisher. Durrell said that he had three literary uncles: T. S. Eliot, the Greek poet
George Seferis Giorgos or George Seferis (; gr, Γιώργος Σεφέρης ), the pen name of Georgios Seferiades (Γεώργιος Σεφεριάδης; March 13 – September 20, 1971), was a Greek poet and diplomat. He was one of the most important G ...
, and Miller. He first read Miller after finding a copy of ''
Tropic of Cancer The Tropic of Cancer, which is also referred to as the Northern Tropic, is the most northerly circle of latitude on Earth at which the Sun can be directly overhead. This occurs on the June solstice, when the Northern Hemisphere is tilted toward ...
'' that had been left behind in a public lavatory. He said the book shook him "from stem to stern".Archived a
Ghostarchive
and th
Wayback Machine
Durrell's first novel of note, '' The Black Book: An Agon,'' was strongly influenced by Miller; it was published in Paris in 1938. The mildly pornographic work was not published in Great Britain until 1973. In the story, the main character Lawrence Lucifer struggles to escape the spiritual sterility of dying England and finds Greece to be a warm and fertile environment.


World War Two


Breakdown of marriage

At the outbreak of World War Two in 1939, Durrell's mother and siblings returned to England, while Nancy and he remained on Corfu. In 1940, they had a daughter, Penelope Berengaria. After the fall of Greece, Lawrence and Nancy escaped via
Crete Crete ( el, Κρήτη, translit=, Modern: , Ancient: ) is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the 88th largest island in the world and the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, after Sicily, Sardinia, Cyprus, and ...
to
Alexandria Alexandria ( or ; ar, ٱلْإِسْكَنْدَرِيَّةُ ; grc-gre, Αλεξάνδρεια, Alexándria) is the second largest city in Egypt, and the largest city on the Mediterranean coast. Founded in by Alexander the Great, Alexandria ...
,
Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediter ...
. The marriage was already under strain and they separated in 1942. Nancy took the baby Penelope with her to
Jerusalem Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...
. During his years on Corfu, Durrell had made notes for a book about the island. He did not write it fully until he was in Egypt towards the end of the war. In the book '' Prospero's Cell,'' Durrell described Corfu as "this brilliant little speck of an island in the Ionian," with waters "like the heartbeat of the world itself".


Press attaché in Egypt and Rhodes; second marriage

During World War Two, Durrell served as a press attaché to the British embassies, first in
Cairo Cairo ( ; ar, القاهرة, al-Qāhirah, ) is the capital of Egypt and its largest city, home to 10 million people. It is also part of the largest urban agglomeration in Africa, the Arab world and the Middle East: The Greater Cairo metro ...
and then Alexandria. While in Alexandria he met Eve (Yvette) Cohen (1918–2004), a Jewish Alexandrian. She inspired his character Justine in ''
The Alexandria Quartet ''The Alexandria Quartet'' is a tetralogy of novels by British writer Lawrence Durrell, published between 1957 and 1960. A critical and commercial success, the first three books present three perspectives on a single set of events and characters ...
.'' In 1947, after his divorce from Nancy was completed, Durrell married Eve Cohen, with whom he had been living since 1942. The couple's daughter, Sappho Jane, was born in
Oxfordshire Oxfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the north west of South East England. It is a mainly rural county, with its largest settlement being the city of Oxford. The county is a centre of research and development, primarily ...
in 1951, and named after the ancient Greek poet Sappho. In May 1945, Durrell obtained a posting to
Rhodes Rhodes (; el, Ρόδος , translit=Ródos ) is the largest and the historical capital of the Dodecanese islands of Greece. Administratively, the island forms a separate municipality within the Rhodes regional unit, which is part of the So ...
, the largest of the Dodecanese islands which Italy had taken over from the disintegrating
Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...
in 1912 during the Balkan Wars. With the Italian surrender to the Allies in 1943, German forces took over most of the islands and held onto them as besieged fortresses until the war's end. Mainland Greece was at that time locked in civil war. A temporary British military government was established in the Dodecanese at war's end, pending sovereignty being transferred to Greece in 1947, as part of
war reparations War reparations are compensation payments made after a war by one side to the other. They are intended to cover damage or injury inflicted during a war. History Making one party pay a war indemnity is a common practice with a long history. ...
from Italy. Durrell set up house with Eve in the little gatekeeper's lodge of an old Turkish cemetery, just across the road from the building used by the British Administration. (Today this is the Casino in Rhodes' new town.) His co-habitation with Eve Cohen could be discreetly ignored by his employer, while the couple gained from staying within the perimeter security zone of the main building. His book ''
Reflections on a Marine Venus Reflections may refer to: Books and magazines * ''Reflections; or Sentences and Moral Maxims'', a series of books (1665–1678) by François de La Rochefoucauld * ''Reflections'' (Sufi literature), by Idries Shah * ''Reflections'', an alumni pu ...
'' was inspired by this period and was a lyrical celebration of the island. It avoids more than a passing mention of the troubled war times.


British Council work in Córdoba and Belgrade; teaching in Cyprus

In 1947, Durrell was appointed director of the
British Council The British Council is a British organisation specialising in international cultural and educational opportunities. It works in over 100 countries: promoting a wider knowledge of the United Kingdom and the English language (and the Welsh lan ...
Institute in Córdoba,
Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...
. He served there for eighteen months, giving lectures on cultural topics. He returned to London with Eve in the summer of 1948, around the time that Marshal
Tito Tito may refer to: People Mononyms * Josip Broz Tito (1892–1980), commonly known mononymously as Tito, Yugoslav communist revolutionary and statesman * Roberto Arias (1918–1989), aka Tito, Panamanian international lawyer, diplomat, and journ ...
of Yugoslavia broke ties with
Stalin Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin (born Ioseb Besarionis dze Jughashvili; – 5 March 1953) was a Georgian revolutionary and Soviet political leader who led the Soviet Union from 1924 until his death in 1953. He held power as General Secretar ...
's
Cominform The Information Bureau of the Communist and Workers' Parties (), commonly known as Cominform (), was a co-ordination body of Marxist-Leninist communist parties in Europe during the early Cold War that was formed in part as a replacement of the ...
. Durrell was posted by the British Council to
Belgrade Belgrade ( , ;, ; Names of European cities in different languages: B, names in other languages) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Serbia, largest city in Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers a ...
,
Yugoslavia Yugoslavia (; sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Jugoslavija, Југославија ; sl, Jugoslavija ; mk, Југославија ;; rup, Iugoslavia; hu, Jugoszlávia; rue, label=Pannonian Rusyn, Югославия, translit=Juhoslavija ...
, and served there until 1952. This sojourn gave him material for his novel '' White Eagles over Serbia'' (1957). In 1952, Eve had a nervous breakdown and was hospitalised in England. Durrell moved to
Cyprus Cyprus ; tr, Kıbrıs (), officially the Republic of Cyprus,, , lit: Republic of Cyprus is an island country located south of the Anatolian Peninsula in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Its continental position is disputed; while it is geo ...
with their daughter Sappho Jane, buying a house and taking a position teaching English literature at the
Pancyprian Gymnasium The Pancyprian Gymnasium (Greek: Παγκύπριον Γυμνάσιον) is the oldest still operational high school in Cyprus, founded in 1812. History In the same location as the current school there was an older school established in 1753 kn ...
to support his writing. He next worked in
public relations Public relations (PR) is the practice of managing and disseminating information from an individual or an organization (such as a business, government agency, or a nonprofit organization) to the public in order to influence their perception. P ...
for the British government during the local agitation for union with Greece. He wrote about his time in Cyprus in ''
Bitter Lemons ''Bitter Lemons'' is an autobiographical work by writer Lawrence Durrell, describing the three years (1953–1956) he spent on the island of Cyprus. The book was awarded the Duff Cooper Prize for 1957, the second year the prize was awarded. Back ...
'', which won the Duff Cooper Prize in 1957. In 1954, he was selected as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature. Durrell left Cyprus in August 1956. Political agitation on the island and his British government position resulted in his becoming a target for assassination attempts.


''Justine'' and ''The Alexandria Quartet''

In 1957, Durrell published '' Justine,'' the first novel of what was to become his most famous work, ''
The Alexandria Quartet ''The Alexandria Quartet'' is a tetralogy of novels by British writer Lawrence Durrell, published between 1957 and 1960. A critical and commercial success, the first three books present three perspectives on a single set of events and characters ...
.'' '' Justine,'' '' Balthazar'' (1958), ''
Mountolive ''Mountolive'', published in 1958, is the third volume in The Alexandria Quartet series by British author Lawrence Durrell. Set in Alexandria, Egypt, around World War II, the four novels tell essentially the same story from different points of v ...
'' (1958), and ''
Clea Clea Strange () is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by co-plotters Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, Clea first appeared in the Doctor Strange feature in ''Strange Tales'' #126 (November 1964). S ...
'' (1960), deal with events before and during the Second World War in the Egyptian city of
Alexandria Alexandria ( or ; ar, ٱلْإِسْكَنْدَرِيَّةُ ; grc-gre, Αλεξάνδρεια, Alexándria) is the second largest city in Egypt, and the largest city on the Mediterranean coast. Founded in by Alexander the Great, Alexandria ...
. The first three books tell essentially the same story and series of events, but from the varying perspectives of different characters. Durrell described this technique in his introductory note in ''Balthazar'' as "relativistic." Only in the final novel, ''Clea'', does the story advance in time and reach a conclusion. Critics praised the ''Quartet'' for its richness of style, the variety and vividness of its characters, its movement between the personal and the political, and its locations in and around the ancient Egyptian city which Durrell portrays as the chief protagonist: "The city which used us as its flora—precipitated in us conflicts which were hers and which we mistook for our own: beloved Alexandria!" ''
The Times Literary Supplement ''The Times Literary Supplement'' (''TLS'') is a weekly literary review published in London by News UK, a subsidiary of News Corp. History The ''TLS'' first appeared in 1902 as a supplement to ''The Times'' but became a separate publication ...
'' review of the ''Quartet'' stated: "If ever a work bore an instantly recognizable signature on every sentence, this is it." In 2012, when the Nobel Records were opened after 50 years, it was revealed that Durrell had been nominated for the 1961
Nobel Prize in Literature ) , image = Nobel Prize.png , caption = , awarded_for = Outstanding contributions in literature , presenter = Swedish Academy , holder = Annie Ernaux (2022) , location = Stockholm, Sweden , year = 1901 , ...
, but did not make the final list.J. D. Mersault, "The Prince Returns: In Defense of Lawrence Durrell"
''The American Reader'', n.d.; accessed 14 October 2016
In 1962, however, he did receive serious consideration, along with
Robert Graves Captain Robert von Ranke Graves (24 July 1895 – 7 December 1985) was a British poet, historical novelist and critic. His father was Alfred Perceval Graves, a celebrated Irish poet and figure in the Gaelic revival; they were both Celtic ...
,
Jean Anouilh Jean Marie Lucien Pierre Anouilh (; 23 June 1910 – 3 October 1987) was a French dramatist whose career spanned five decades. Though his work ranged from high drama to absurdist farce, Anouilh is best known for his 1944 play ''Antigone'', an a ...
, and Karen Blixen, but ultimately lost to
John Steinbeck John Ernst Steinbeck Jr. (; February 27, 1902 – December 20, 1968) was an American writer and the 1962 Nobel Prize in Literature winner "for his realistic and imaginative writings, combining as they do sympathetic humor and keen social ...
. The Academy decided that "Durrell was not to be given preference this year"—probably because "they did not think that ''The Alexandria Quartet'' was enough, so they decided to keep him under observation for the future." However, he was never nominated again. They also noted that he "gives a dubious aftertaste … because of ismonomaniacal preoccupation with erotic complications."


Two further marriages and settling in Languedoc

In 1955 Durrell separated from Eve Cohen. He married again in 1961, to Claude-Marie Vincendon, whom he met on Cyprus. She was a Jewish woman born in Alexandria. Durrell was devastated when Claude-Marie died of cancer in 1967. He married for the fourth and last time in 1973, to Ghislaine de Boysson, a French woman. They divorced in 1979. Durrell settled in
Sommières Sommières (; oc, Someire) is a commune in the Gard department in southern France, located at the border with the Hérault department. It lies from Nîmes, from Montpellier. Geography Sommières is to the south of the garrigues and on th ...
, a small village in
Languedoc The Province of Languedoc (; , ; oc, Lengadòc ) is a former province of France. Most of its territory is now contained in the modern-day region of Occitanie in Southern France. Its capital city was Toulouse. It had an area of approximately ...
, France, where he purchased a large house on the edge of the village. The house was situated in extensive grounds surrounded by a wall. Here he wrote '' The Revolt of Aphrodite,'' comprising '' Tunc'' (1968) and '' Nunquam'' (1970). He also completed ''
The Avignon Quintet ''The Avignon Quintet'' is a five-volume series of novels by British writer Lawrence Durrell, published between 1974 and 1985. The novels are metafictional. He uses developments in experimental fiction that followed his ''The Alexandria Quartet'' ...
,'' published from 1974 to 1985, which used many of the same motifs and styles found in his metafictional ''Alexandria Quartet.'' Although the related works are frequently described as a quintet, Durrell referred to it as a "
quincunx A quincunx () is a geometric pattern consisting of five points arranged in a cross, with four of them forming a square or rectangle and a fifth at its center. The same pattern has other names, including "in saltire" or "in cross" in heraldry (d ...
." The opening novel, '' Monsieur, or the Prince of Darkness,'' received the 1974
James Tait Black Memorial Prize The James Tait Black Memorial Prizes are literary prizes awarded for literature written in the English language. They, along with the Hawthornden Prize, are Britain's oldest literary awards. Based at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland, Uni ...
. That year, Durrell was living in the United States and serving as the Andrew Mellon Visiting Professor of Humanities at the
California Institute of Technology The California Institute of Technology (branded as Caltech or CIT)The university itself only spells its short form as "Caltech"; the institution considers other spellings such a"Cal Tech" and "CalTech" incorrect. The institute is also occasional ...
. The middle novel of the quincunx, '' Constance, or Solitary Practices'' (1981), which portrays France in the 1940s under the
German occupation German-occupied Europe refers to the sovereign countries of Europe which were wholly or partly occupied and civil-occupied (including puppet governments) by the military forces and the government of Nazi Germany at various times between 1939 an ...
, was nominated for the Booker Prize in 1982. Other works from this period are ''Sicilian Carousel,'' a non-fiction celebration of that island, ''The Greek Islands,'' and ''Caesar's Vast Ghost,'' which is set in and chiefly about the region of
Provence, France Provence (, , , , ; oc, Provença or ''Prouvènço'' , ) is a geographical region and historical province of southeastern France, which extends from the left bank of the lower Rhône to the west to the Italian border to the east; it is bor ...
.


Later years, literary influences, attitudes and reputation

A longtime smoker, Durrell suffered from emphysema for many years. He died of a stroke at his house in Sommières in November 1990, and was buried in the churchyard of the Chapelle St-Julien de Montredon in Sommières. He was predeceased by his younger daughter, Sappho Jane, who took her own life in 1985 at age 33. After Durrell's death, it emerged that Sappho's diaries included allusions to an alleged incestuous relationship with her father.


Durrell's government service and his attitudes

Durrell worked for several years in the service of the
Foreign Office Foreign may refer to: Government * Foreign policy, how a country interacts with other countries * Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in many countries ** Foreign Office, a department of the UK government ** Foreign office and foreign minister * Unit ...
. He was senior press officer to the British embassies in Athens and Cairo, press attaché in Alexandria and Belgrade, and director of the British Institutes in
Kalamata Kalamáta ( el, Καλαμάτα ) is the second most populous city of the Peloponnese peninsula, after Patras, in southern Greece and the largest city of the homonymous administrative region. As the capital and chief port of the Messenia regi ...
, Greece, and Córdoba, Argentina. He was also director of Public Relations in the
Dodecanese Islands The Dodecanese (, ; el, Δωδεκάνησα, ''Dodekánisa'' , ) are a group of 15 larger plus 150 smaller Greek islands in the southeastern Aegean Sea and Eastern Mediterranean, off the coast of Turkey's Anatolia, of which 26 are inhabited. ...
and on Cyprus. He later refused an honour as a
Knight Commander of the Order of St. Michael and St. George The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is a British order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George IV, Prince of Wales, while he was acting as prince regent for his father, King George III. It is named in honou ...
, because he felt his "conservative, reactionary and right-wing" political views might be a cause for embarrassment. Durrell's works of humour, ''Esprit de Corps'' and ''Stiff Upper Lip,'' are about life in the diplomatic corps, particularly in
Serbia Serbia (, ; Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe, Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Bas ...
. He claimed to have disliked both Egypt and Argentina, although not nearly so much as he disliked Yugoslavia.


Durrell's poetry

Durrell's poetry has been overshadowed by his novels, but Peter Porter, in his introduction to a ''Selected Poems,'' calls Durrell "One of the best oetsof the past hundred years. And one of the most enjoyable." Porter describes Durrell's poetry: "Always beautiful as sound and syntax. Its innovation lies in its refusal to be more high-minded than the things it records, together with its handling of the whole lexicon of language."


British citizenship

For much of his life, Durrell resisted being identified solely as
British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...
, or as only affiliated with Britain. He preferred to be considered
cosmopolitan Cosmopolitan may refer to: Food and drink * Cosmopolitan (cocktail), also known as a "Cosmo" History * Rootless cosmopolitan, a Soviet derogatory epithet during Joseph Stalin's anti-Semitic campaign of 1949–1953 Hotels and resorts * Cosmopoli ...
. Since his death, there have been claims that Durrell never had
British citizenship British nationality law prescribes the conditions under which a person is recognised as being a national of the United Kingdom. The six different classes of British nationality each have varying degrees of civil and political rights, due to the ...
, but he was originally classified as a British citizen as he was born to British colonial parents living in India under the British Raj. In 1966 Durrell and many other former and present British residents became classified as non- patrial, as a result of an amendment to the Commonwealth Immigrants Act. The law was covertly intended to reduce migration from India, Pakistan, and the West Indies, but Durrell was also penalized by it and refused citizenship. He had not been told that he needed to "register as a British citizen in 1962 under the
Commonwealth Immigrants Act 1962 The Commonwealth Immigrants Act 1962 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The Act entailed stringent restrictions on the entry of Commonwealth citizens into the United Kingdom. Only those with work permits (which were typically on ...
." As ''The Guardian'' reported in 2002, Durrell in 1966 was "one of the best selling, most celebrated English novelists of the late 20th century" and "at the height of his fame." Denied the normal citizenship right to enter or settle in Britain, Durrell had to apply for a visa for each entry. Diplomats were outraged and embarrassed at these events. "Sir
Patrick Reilly Sir Patrick Reilly, GCMG (17 March 1909 – 6 October 1999) was a British diplomat who served as ambassador to the USSR and France. He held several senior posts and was called "the perfect mandarin." Biography D'Arcy Patrick Reilly was born at ...
, the ambassador in Paris, was so incensed that he wrote to his Foreign Office superiors: 'I venture to suggest it might be wise to ensure that ministers, both in the Foreign Office and the Home Office, are aware that one of our greatest living writers in the English language is being debarred from the citizenship of the United Kingdom to which he is entitled.'"


Legacy

After Durrell's death, his lifelong friend Alan G. Thomas donated a collection of books and periodicals associated with Durrell to the
British Library The British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom and is one of the largest libraries in the world. It is estimated to contain between 170 and 200 million items from many countries. As a legal deposit library, the British ...
. This is maintained as the distinct Lawrence Durrell Collection. Thomas had earlier edited an anthology of writings, letters and poetry by Durrell, published as ''Spirit of Place'' (1969). It contained material related to Durrell's own published works. An important documentary resource is kept by the Bibliothèque Lawrence Durrell at the Université Paris Ouest in
Nanterre Nanterre (, ) is the prefecture of the Hauts-de-Seine department in the western suburbs of Paris. It is located some northwest of the centre of Paris. In 2018, the commune had a population of 96,807. The eastern part of Nanterre, bordering t ...
.


Bibliography


Novels

* ''
Pied Piper of Lovers ''Pied Piper of Lovers'', published in 1935, is Lawrence Durrell's first novel. The novel is in large part autobiographical and focuses on the protagonist's childhood in India and maturation in London. It is followed by '' Panic Spring'', which ...
'' (1935) * ''
Panic Spring ''Panic Spring'' is a novel by Lawrence Durrell, published in 1937 by Faber and Faber in Britain and Covici-Friede in the United States under the pseudonym Charles Norden. It is set on a fictional Greek Island, Mavrodaphne, in the Ionian Sea ...
'', under the pseudonym Charles Norden (1937) * '' The Black Book '' (1938; republished in the UK on 1 January 1977 by Faber and Faber) * '' Cefalu'' (1947; republished as ''The Dark Labyrinth'' in 1958) * '' White Eagles Over Serbia'' (1957) * ''
The Alexandria Quartet ''The Alexandria Quartet'' is a tetralogy of novels by British writer Lawrence Durrell, published between 1957 and 1960. A critical and commercial success, the first three books present three perspectives on a single set of events and characters ...
'' (1962) ** '' Justine'' (1957) ** '' Balthazar'' (1958) ** ''
Mountolive ''Mountolive'', published in 1958, is the third volume in The Alexandria Quartet series by British author Lawrence Durrell. Set in Alexandria, Egypt, around World War II, the four novels tell essentially the same story from different points of v ...
'' (1958) ** ''
Clea Clea Strange () is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by co-plotters Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, Clea first appeared in the Doctor Strange feature in ''Strange Tales'' #126 (November 1964). S ...
'' (1960) * '' The Revolt of Aphrodite'' (1974) ** '' Tunc'' (1968) ** '' Nunquam'' (1970) * ''
The Avignon Quintet ''The Avignon Quintet'' is a five-volume series of novels by British writer Lawrence Durrell, published between 1974 and 1985. The novels are metafictional. He uses developments in experimental fiction that followed his ''The Alexandria Quartet'' ...
'' (1992) ** '' Monsieur: or, The Prince of Darkness'' (1974) ** '' Livia: or, Buried Alive'' (1978) ** '' Constance: or, Solitary Practices'' (1982) ** '' Sebastian: or, Ruling Passions'' (1983) ** '' Quinx: or, The Ripper's Tale'' (1985) * '' Judith'' (2012, written 1962-c. 1966)


Travel

* ''Prospero's Cell: A guide to the landscape and manners of the island of Corcyra orfu' (1945; republished 2000) () * ''Reflections on a Marine Venus'' (1953) * ''
Bitter Lemons ''Bitter Lemons'' is an autobiographical work by writer Lawrence Durrell, describing the three years (1953–1956) he spent on the island of Cyprus. The book was awarded the Duff Cooper Prize for 1957, the second year the prize was awarded. Back ...
'' (1957; republished as ''Bitter Lemons of Cyprus'' 2001) * ''Blue Thirst'' (1975) * ''Sicilian Carousel'' (1977) * ''The Greek Islands'' (1978) * ''Caesar's Vast Ghost'' (1990)


Poetry

* ''Quaint Fragments: Poems Written between the Ages of Sixteen and Nineteen'' (1931) * ''Ten Poems'' (1932) * ''Transition: Poems'' (1934) * ''A Private Country'' (1943) * ''Cities, Plains and People'' (1946) * ''On Seeming to Presume'' (1948) * ''The Poetry of Lawrence Durrell'' (1962) * ''Selected Poems: 1953–1963'' Edited by Alan Ross (1964) * ''The Ikons'' (1966) * ''The Suchness of the Old Boy'' (1972) * ''Collected Poems: 1931–1974'' Edited by James A. Brigham (1980) * ''Selected Poems of Lawrence Durrell'' Edited by Peter Porter (2006)


Drama

* ''Bromo Bombastes'', under the pseudonym Gaffer Peeslake (1933) * ''Sappho: A Play in Verse'' (1950) * ''An Irish Faustus: A Morality in Nine Scenes'' (1963) * ''Acte'' (1964)


Humour

* ''Esprit de Corps'' (1957) * ''Stiff Upper Lip'' (1958) * ''Sauve Qui Peut'' (1966) * ''Antrobus Complete'' (1985), a collection of short stories, previously published in various magazines, about life in the diplomatic corps.


Letters and essays

* ''A Key to Modern British Poetry'' (1952) * ''Art & Outrage: A Correspondence About Henry Miller Between Alfred Perles and Lawrence Durrell'' (1959) * ''Lawrence Durrell and
Henry Miller Henry Valentine Miller (December 26, 1891 – June 7, 1980) was an American novelist. He broke with existing literary forms and developed a new type of semi-autobiographical novel that blended character study, social criticism, philosophical ref ...
: A Private Correspondence'' (1962) edited by George Wickes * ''Spirit of Place: Letters and Essays on Travel'' (1969) edited by Alan G. Thomas * ''Literary Lifelines: The
Richard Aldington Richard Aldington (8 July 1892 – 27 July 1962), born Edward Godfree Aldington, was an English writer and poet, and an early associate of the Imagist movement. He was married to the poet Hilda Doolittle (H. D.) from 1911 to 1938. His 50-year w ...
—Lawrence Durrell Correspondence'' (1981) edited by Ian S. MacNiven and Harry T. Moore * ''A Smile in the Mind's Eye'' (1980) * "Letters to T. S. Eliot" (1987) ''Twentieth Century Literature'' Vol. 33, No. 3 pp. 348–358. * ''The Durrell-Miller Letters: 1935–80'' (1988), edited by Ian S. MacNiven * ''Letters to Jean Fanchette'' (1988), edited by Jean Fanchette * ''From the Elephant's Back: Collected Essays & Travel Writings'' (2015), edited by James Gifford


Editing and translating

* ''Six Poems From the Greek of Sikelianós and Seféris'' (1946), translated by Durrell * ''The King of Asine and Other Poems'' (1948), by
George Seferis Giorgos or George Seferis (; gr, Γιώργος Σεφέρης ), the pen name of Georgios Seferiades (Γεώργιος Σεφεριάδης; March 13 – September 20, 1971), was a Greek poet and diplomat. He was one of the most important G ...
and translated by Durrell,
Bernard Spencer Charles Bernard Spencer (1909 – 1963) was an English poet, translator, and editor. He was born in Madras, India and educated at Marlborough College and Corpus Christi College, Oxford. At Marlborough he knew John Betjeman and Louis MacNeic ...
, and
Nanos Valaoritis Ioannis (Nanos) Valaoritis ( el, Ιωάννης (Νάνος) Βαλαωρίτης; 5 July 1921 – 12 September 2019) was a Greek writer, widely published as a poet, novelist and playwright since 1939; his correspondence with George Seferis (''Al ...
* ''The Curious History of
Pope Joan Pope Joan (''Ioannes Anglicus'', 855–857) was, according to legend, a woman who reigned as pope for two years during the Middle Ages. Her story first appeared in chronicles in the 13th century and subsequently spread throughout Europe. The s ...
'' (1954; revised 1960), by Emmanuel Roídes and translated by Durrell * ''The Best of Henry Miller'' (1960), edited by Durrell * ''New Poems 1963: A P.E.N. Anthology of Contemporary Poetry'' (1963), edited by Durrell * ''Wordsworth; Selected by Lawrence Durrell'' (1973), edited by Durrell


Notes


Further reading

Biography and interviews * * Bowker, Gordon. ''Through the Dark Labyrinth: A Biography of Lawrence Durrell''. New York: St. Martin's P, 1997. * Chamberlin, Brewster. ''A Chronology of the Life and Times of Lawrence Durrell''. Corfu: Durrell School of Corfu, 2007. * Commengé, Béatrice. ''Une vie de paysages''. Paris: Verdier, 2016. * Durrell, Lawrence. ''The Big Supposer: An Interview with Marc Alyn''. New York: Grove P, 1974. * Haag, Michael. ''Alexandria: City of Memory''. London and New Haven: Yale U P, 2004. ntertwined biographies of Lawrence Durrell, E. M. Forster and Constantine Cavafy in Alexandria.* Haag, Michael. ''Vintage Alexandria: Photographs of the City 1860–1960''. Cairo and New York: The American U of Cairo P, 2008. [Includes an introduction on the historical, social and literary significance of Alexandria, and extensively captioned photographs of the cosmopolitan city and its inhabitants, including Durrell and people he knew.] * MacNiven, Ian. ''Lawrence Durrell—A Biography''. London: Faber and Faber, 1998. * Todd, Daniel Ray. ''An Annotated, Enumerative Bibliography of the Criticism of Lawrence Durrell's Alexandria Quartet and his Travel Works''. New Orleans: Tulane U, 1984. octoral dissertation* Ingersoll, Earl. ''Lawrence Durrell: Conversations''. Cranbury: Ashgate; 1998. Critical Studies * Alexandre-Garner, Corinne, ed. ''Lawrence Durrell Revisited : Lawrence Durrell Revisité''. Confluences 21. Nanterre: Université Paris X, 2002. * Alexandre-Garner, Corinne, ed. ''Lawrence Durrell: Actes Du Colloque Pour L'Inauguration De La Bibliothèque Durrell''. Confluences 15. Nanterre: Université Paris-X, 1998. * Alexandre-Garner, Corinne. ''Le Quatuor D'Alexandrie, Fragmentation Et Écriture : Étude Sur Lámour, La Femme Et L'Écriture Dans Le Roman De Lawrence Durrell''. Anglo-Saxon Language and Literature 136. New York: Peter Lang, 1985. * Begnal, Michael H., ed. ''On Miracle Ground: Essays on the Fiction of Lawrence Durrell''. Lewisburg: Bucknell U P, 1990. * Clawson, James M. ''Durrell Re-read : Crossing the Liminal in Lawrence Durrell's Major Novels''. Madison, NJ: Fairleigh Dickinson U P, 2016. * Cornu, Marie-Renée. ''La Dynamique Du Quatuor D'Alexandrie De Lawrence Durrell: Trois Études''. Montréal: Didier, 1979. * Fraser, G. S. ''Lawrence Durrell: A Study''. London: Faber and Faber, 1968. * Friedman, Alan Warren, ed. ''Critical Essays on Lawrence Durrell''. Boston: G. K. Hall, 1987. * Friedman, Alan Warren. ''Lawrence Durrell and "The Alexandria Quartet": Art for Love's Sake''. Norman: U of Oklahoma P, 1970. * Gifford, James. ''Personal Modernisms: Anarchist Networks and the Later Avant-Gardes ''. EdmontonL U Alberta P, 2014. * Herbrechter, Stefan. ''Lawrence Durrell, Postmodernism and the Ethics of Alterity''. Postmodern Studies 26. Amsterdam: Rodopi, 1999. * Hoops, Wiklef. ''Die Antinomie Von Theorie Und Praxis in Lawrence Durrells Alexandria Quartet: Eine Strukturuntersuchung''. Frankfurt: Peter Lang, 1976. * Isernhagen, Hartwig. ''Sensation, Vision and Imagination: The Problem of Unity in Lawrence Durrell's Novels''. Bamberg: Bamberger Fotodruck, 1969. * Kaczvinsky, Donald P. ''Lawrence Durrell's Major Novels, or The Kingdom of the Imagination''. Selinsgrove: Susquehanna U P, 1997. * Kaczvinsky, Donald P., ed. ''Durrell and the City: Collected Essays on Place''. Madison, NJ: Fairleigh Dickinson U P, 2011. * Keller-Privat, Isabelle. ''« Between the lines »: l’écriture du déchirement dans la poésie de Lawrence Durrell''. Paris: Presses Universitaires de Paris Ouest, 2015. * Lampert, Gunther. ''Symbolik Und Leitmotivik in Lawrence Durrells Alexandria Quartet''. Bamberg: Rodenbusch, 1974. * Lillios, Anna, ed. ''Lawrence Durrell and the Greek World''. London: Associated U Presses, 2004. * Moore, Harry T., ed. ''The World of Lawrence Durrell''. Carbondale: Southern Illinois U P, 1962. * Morrison, Ray. ''A Smile in His Mind's Eye: A Study of the Early Works of Lawrence Durrell''. Toronto: U of Toronto P, 2005. * Pelletier, Jacques. ''Le Quatour D'Alexandrie De Lawrence Durrell. Lawrence Durrell's Alexandria Quartet.'' Paris: Hachette, 1975. * Pine, Richard. ''Lawrence Durrell: The Mindscape''. Corfu: Durrell School of Corfu, revised edition, 2005. * Pine, Richard. ''The Dandy and the Herald: Manners, Mind and Morals From Brummell to Durrell''. New York: St. Martin's P, 1988. * Raper, Julius Rowan, ''et al'', eds. ''Lawrence Durrell: Comprehending the Whole''. Columbia: U of Missouri P, 1995. * Rashidi, Linda Stump. ''(Re)constructing Reality: Complexity in Lawrence Durrell's Alexandria Quartet''. New York: Peter Lang, 2005. * Ruprecht, Walter Hermann. ''Durrells Alexandria Quartet: Struktur Als Belzugssystem. Sichtung Und Analyse''. Swiss Studies in English 72. Berne: Francke Verlag, 1972. * Sajavaara, Kari. ''Imagery in Lawrence Durrell's Prose''. Mémoires De La Société Néophilologique De Helsinki 35. Helsinki: Société Néophilologique, 1975. * Sertoli, Giuseppe. ''Lawrence Durrell''. Civilta Letteraria Del Novecento: Sezione Inglese—Americana 6. Milano: Mursia, 1967. * Potter, Robert A., and Brooke Whiting. ''Lawrence Durrell: A Checklist''. Los Angeles: U of California, Los Angeles Library, 1961. * Thomas, Alan G., and James Brigham. ''Lawrence Durrell: An Illustrated Checklist''. Carbondale: Southern Illinois U P, 1983. Critical articles * Zahlan, Anne R. "Always Friday the Thirteenth: The Knights Templar and the Instability of History in Durrell's ''The Avignon Quintet.''" ''Deus Loci: The Lawrence Durrell Journal'' NS11 (2008–09): 23–39. * Zahlan, Anne R. "Avignon Preserved: Conquest and Liberation in Lawrence Durrell's ''Constance.''" ''The Literatures of War.'' Ed.
Richard Pine Richard is a male given name. It originates, via Old French, from Old Frankish and is a compound of the words descending from Proto-Germanic ''*rīk-'' 'ruler, leader, king' and ''*hardu-'' 'strong, brave, hardy', and it therefore means 'stron ...
and Eve Patten. Newcastle upon Tyne: Cambridge Scholars, 2009. 253–276. * Zahlan, Anne R. "City as Carnival: Narrative as Palimpsest: Lawrence Durrell's ''The Alexandria Quartet.''" ''The Journal of Narrative Technique'' 18 (1988): 34–46. * Zahlan, Anne R. "Crossing the Border: Lawrence Durrell's Alexandrian Conversion to Post-Modernism." ''South Atlantic Review'' 64:4 (Fall 1999). *Zahlan, Anne R. "The Destruction of the Imperial Self in Lawrence Durrell's ''The Alexandria Quartet''." ''Self and Other: Perspectives on Contemporary Literature XII.'' University Press of Kentucky, 1986. 3–12. *Zahlan, Anne R. "The Most Offending Souls Alive: Ruskin, Mountolive, and the Myth of Empire." ''Deus Loci: The Lawrence Durrell Journal'' NS10 (2006). *Zahlan, Anne. R. "The Negro as Icon: Transformation and the Black Body" in Lawrence Durrell's ''The Avignon Quintet''. ''South Atlantic Review'' 71.1 (Winter 2006). 74–88. *Zahlan, Anne. R. "War at the Heart of the Quincunx: Resistance and Collaboration in Durrell's ''Constance''." ''Deus Loci: The Lawrence Durrell Journal'' NS12 (2010). 38–59.


External links


The International Lawrence Durrell Society
A non-profit educational organization promoting the works and study of Lawrence Durrell
Durrell 2012: The Lawrence Durrell Centenary
Centenary event website
Durrell Celebration in Alexandria
* * * Articles * * *
"Lawrence Durrell in the ambiguous white metropolis"
an essay on the ''Alexandria Quartet,'' ''Times Literary Supplement (TLS),'' 27 August 2008. {{DEFAULTSORT:Durrell, Lawrence 1912 births 1990 deaths People from Jalandhar British male poets British male dramatists and playwrights Incestual abuse Child sexual abuse in France English dramatists and playwrights English travel writers 20th-century British dramatists and playwrights 20th-century English novelists 20th-century English poets Postmodern writers English public relations people People educated at Pancyprian Gymnasium People educated at St Olave's Grammar School People educated at St Edmund's School Canterbury Fellows of the Royal Society of Literature James Tait Black Memorial Prize recipients British expatriates in Cyprus Gerald Durrell