The Poet & the Baroness: W.H. Auden and Stella Musulin, a Friendship

The Austrian capital was once on the edge of Western civilization, but from the 18th century on, it has been a vibrant center of European culture. This book explores the close relationship between W.H. Auden and Baroness Stella von Musulin, who were both intellectuals in the Cold War years, and provides new insights into Auden's last, prolific, creative period.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 216 pages
Publication date: 30 September 2023
Publisher: Central European University Press

For extended stretches of history, the Austrian capital found itself perched on the geographical periphery of Western civilization. However, starting from the 18th century, Vienna emerged as a thriving hub of European culture. This city serves as the backdrop for the remarkable encounter between two exceptional intellectuals at the heart of this book.

The enduring bond between W.H. Auden, the renowned British-American poet (1907-1973), and his fellow expatriate, the Welsh-Austrian journalist, translator, and writer Stella Musulin (1915-1996) endured throughout Auden's residence in the nearby small town of Kirchstetten, beginning in 1958. It was in this serene setting that the poet found his final resting place in the autumn of 1973. This book is constructed upon the unpublished letters exchanged between Auden and Musulin, as well as her private journals.

The examination of this inspiring material unveils fresh perspectives on Auden's final, prolific, and creative phase, while also highlighting the "Austrian Auden." Moreover, Michael OSullivan pays homage to the poet's closest "Austrian friend." Baroness Stella von Musulin was an intellectual whose two books for Faber & Faber, namely Vienna in the Age of Metternich and Austria: People & Landscape (with a foreword by Auden), have achieved the status of classics. The author contextualizes the close relationship of two individuals within the intricate tapestry of Austria's complex political, social, and cultural history during the Cold War era.

Dimension: 198 x 129 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9789633866559