Letters of Basil Bunting

The first selected edition of Basil Bunting's letters, spanning from his early encounters with literary figures in London and Paris to his death in Northumberland in 1985, includes a large portion of his correspondence with Ezra Pound, T. S. Eliot, Harriet Monroe, William Carlos Williams, Louis Zukofsky, Ted Hughes, George Oppen, Allen Ginsberg, Donald Davie, and Tom Pickard. The edition showcases Bunting's narrative, crucial to the history of modernism and modern poetry in English, and includes detailed annotations, a critical introduction, glossary of names, and an editorial commentary.

Format: Hardback
Length: 496 pages
Publication date: 28 July 2022
Publisher: Oxford University Press

This long-awaited first selected edition of Basil Bunting's letters is a treasure trove of literary correspondence, spanning from his early encounters with major literary figures in London and Paris in the 1920s to his final years in Northumberland in 1985. The collection includes around 200 letters addressed to a diverse range of recipients, including Ezra Pound, T. S. Eliot, Harriet Monroe, William Carlos Williams, Louis Zukofsky, Ted Hughes, George Oppen, Allen Ginsberg, Donald Davie, and Tom Pickard.

The letters offer a captivating narrative that sheds light on Bunting's life and career, providing a unique insight into the history of modernism and modern poetry in English. Highlights include a lengthy and profound dialogue with Ezra Pound in the 1930s, covering political, economic, and literary topics; a rich and introspective exchange with American poet Louis Zukofsky that lasted over four decades; and various accounts of the vibrant Anglo-American poetry scene of the 1960s and 1970s.

Bunting's prose is consistently sharp, eloquent, entertaining, and caustic, whether he is writing from New York during the height of the Depression, Iran in the aftermath of World War II, or the north of England during the preparation of his masterpiece, Briggflatts (1966). This edition includes detailed annotations of Bunting's letters, a critical introduction, a glossary of names, and an editorial commentary, making it an invaluable resource for scholars and enthusiasts of modern literature.

In conclusion, this first selected edition of Basil Bunting's letters is a remarkable achievement that showcases the brilliance of one of the twentieth century's most influential poets. It provides a glimpse into the life and work of a literary legend, and offers a valuable contribution to our understanding of modernism and modern poetry.

Weight: 866g
Dimension: 163 x 242 x 37 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780198754817