Simply by Sailing in a New Direction

Allen Curnow (1911-2001) is widely recognised as one of the most distinguished poets writing in English in the twentieth century. For seventy years from Valley of Decision (1933) to The Bells of Saint Babel's (2001) Curnow's poetry was always on the move, exploring such universal themes as identity, memory and mortality and striving to 'make it new'. Through literary criticism and anthologies such as the Penguin Book of New Zealand Verse he helped identify the distinctive imaginative preoccupations that made New Zealand's writing and culture different from elsewhere. By the time of his death at the age of ninety, he had completed a body of work unique in this country and increasingly recognised internationally. This major biography introduces readers to Allen Curnow's life and work: from a childhood in a Christchurch vicarage, through theological training, journalism and university life, marriages and children, and on to an international career as a writer of poetry, plays and criticism. The book lucidly identifies the shifting textures of Curnow's writing and unravels the connections between life and words. The result of several decades' research and writing, Simply by Sailing in a New Direction offers deep insight into the development of New Zealand's finest poet -- book jacket.