{"product_id":"simply-by-sailing-in-a-new-direction","title":"Simply by Sailing in a New Direction","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eSimply by sailing in a new direction\u003c\/em\u003e \/ \u003cem\u003eYou could enlarge the world.\u003c\/em\u003e – ‘Landfall in Unknown Seas’ \u003cem\u003ehang on to your hands\u003c\/em\u003e \u003cem\u003eanything can happen\u003c\/em\u003e – ‘Two Pedestrians with One Thought’\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAllen Curnow (1911–2001) is widely recognised as one of the most distinguished poets writing in English in the second half of the twentieth century. From \u003cem\u003eValley of Decision\u003c\/em\u003e (1933) to \u003cem\u003eThe Bells of Saint Babel’s\u003c\/em\u003e (2001) he defined and redefined how poetry might discover the possibilities of a world seen afresh. Through relationships with writers from Dylan Thomas to C. K. Stead he influenced the changing shape of modern poetry. And in criticism and anthologies like the \u003cem\u003ePenguin Book of New Zealand Verse\u003c\/em\u003e 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, satire and criticism. The book lucidly identifies the shifting textures of Curnow’s writing and unravels the intersections between life and words. The result of over a decade’s research and writing, \u003cem\u003eSimply by Sailing in a New Direction\u003c\/em\u003e offers deep insight into the development of New Zealand literature and culture.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57490267144565,"sku":"9781869408527","price":39.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781869408527.jpg?v=1786442153","url":"https:\/\/backstory.london\/products\/simply-by-sailing-in-a-new-direction","provider":"Backstory","version":"1.0","type":"link"}