2012 marks the centenary of the birth of novelist and poet Lawrence Durrell, one of the leading writers of the post-war years. Born in India and resident at various times in England, Greece, Egypt, Cyprus and France, Durrell was a cosmopolitan, whose work was greatly influence by the Mediterranean places and cultures he experienced.His most famous work is The Alexandria Quartet, a series of novels produced in rapid succession between 1957 and 1960. This disc contains a selection of previously unreleased historic BBC broadcasts in which Durrell reads his poetry and discusses his lfe and work, together with a unique pair of private recordings of Durrell as jazz pianist and vocalist.

Table of Contents

1. Durrell as jazz pianist Durrell sings and plays 'Two of a Kind' Date of recording: 1935 Duration: approx 3.00 2. Durrell interviewed by Malcolm Muggeridge They discuss: birth in India; influence of India; Kipling as childhood hero; disappointment of coming to live in England; his Irish ancestry; living in Southwark and closeness to Shakespearian London; his first writing at the age of 16; influence of the war poets and Aldous Huxley; Henry Miller as friend and admired writer; comments on Miller's The Tropic of Cancer; Miller's liberating influence; Durrell's sensitivity to landscape and sense of place; the presence of the desert in Alexandria; Miller's attitude towards sex; sex and self-knowledge; D H Lawrence as a major writer, reared in the wrong conditions; writers' sad biographies and the Alexandria Quartet Date of recording: 19.10.1965 Duration: 18.37 3. Durrell reads his poems Logos The Poet Alexandria The Tree of Idleness Date of recording: 21.01.1963 Duration: 6.34 4. Durrell interviewed by D G Bridson (part 1) Greece in the war N.B. Not a continuous discussion; there are many breaks They discuss: Egypt and Alexandria in the war; Rhodes; Hellenic inspiration; how Durrell discovered himself in Greece Date of recording: 21.01.1963 Duration: 7.17 Durrell interviewed by D G Bridson (part 2) The Alexandria Quartet N.B. Some of this is very heavy They discuss: where and when he wrote it; what did he mean the Quartet to be?; how it follows on from conceptions of time and narrative in Proust, Joyce, Lawrence and Woolf; Questions of form; the four novels; Einstein and relativity; errors in the time plan; the Alexandria Quartet as an extension of his love life; Is the Quartet taken from reality?; who was the model for Justine? Date of recording: 21.01.1963 Duration: 1.38 + 8.43 + 3.02 = 13.23 5. Durrell reads a selection of his poetry Style Cities, Plains and people VIII (extract) The Anecdotes, IV at Rhodes On Ithaca standing The Sirena Exile in Athens Episode Cavafy Night Express Bere Regis The Octagon Room Date of recording: 29.01.1963 Duration: 18.00 6. Durrell interviewed by Edward Blishen They discuss: style; thinking in French and writing in English; French hostility to Shakespeare; throwing away his notes; where does he write?; how fast does he write?; intricacy of novels; love in his novels and in life; Henry Miller's advice; Durrell's 'message' in his books; importance of place in his books; Shakespeare, Dickens; Shakespeare's plays ending with a dance; provocative ideas; creating characters; any more novels?; ending a book; making changes later; his life as a writer Date of recording: 06.08.1985 Duration: 14.28 7. Durrell as jazz pianist Durrell sings and plays 'Out of the Blue' Date of recording: 1935 Duration: approx 3.00