Durrell, Lawrence

Lawrence George Durrell was born Feb. 27, 1912 in Julundur, India; the son of British parents, he grew up in India and spent his young adult years in England; he held many odd jobs such as jazz pianist, automobile racer, real estate agent, instructor, and press attaché; moved to France and became a full time writer in 1957; of his various publications, Durrell is best known for the Alexandria quartet, a tetralogy with titles, Justine, Balthazar, Mountolive, and Clea which appeared between 1957 and 1960; died Nov. 7, 1990.

Lawrence George Durrell (February 27, 1912-November 7, 1990) was an expatriate British novelist, poet, dramatist, and travel writer. Durrell was born in Jullundur, British India and published his first collection of poetry, Quaint Fragment, at age 19. This was the first of many writings to be published, and though he is remembered as a great poet, much of his work in print is prose. Publications include: Prospero's Cell, White Eagles over Serbia, Bitter Lemons, The Alexandria Quartet, The Revolt of Aphrodite, and The Avignon Quintet. In 1935, Durrell married Nancy Isobel Myers and moved to Greece. In 1940 they had a daughter, Penelope Berengaria, and soon after had to escape from Greece to Egypt where he wrote about Corfu and their life on "this brilliant little speck of an island in the Ionian" in the poetic. During the war, Durrell served as a press attaché to the British Embassies, first in Cairo and then Alexandria. After the war he held various diplomatic and teaching jobs. Durrell separated from Nancy in 1942 and in 1951 he married Yvette Cohen, the model for the character Justine in the Alexandria Quarter. Durrell separated from Eve Cohen in 1955, and was married again in 1961 to Claude-Marie Vincendon. Vincendon died of cancer in 1967. Durrell spent several years in the service of the Foreign Office. He was senior Press Officer to the British Embassies in Athens and Cairo, Press attaché in Alexandria and Belgrade, Director of the British Institutes in Kalamata, Greece, and Cordoba, Argentina. He was also Director of Public Relations in the Dodecanese Islands and on Cyprus. His fourth and final marriage was in 1973 to Ghislaine de Boysson, whom he divorced in 1979. Durrell suffered from emphysema for many years. He died of a stroke at his house in Sommières, France in November 1990.

A British poet and writer, Durrell was born in India on February 27, 1912, was educated in England, and spent his twenties and thirties predominantly in Greece and in Egypt during World War II. In 1957 he took up residence in France where he remained until his death in 1990 at the age of seventy-eight. He was married several times. Durrell was very prolific, writing travel books, mysteries, essays, plays, and poems in addition to his novels. Durrell's writing was influenced by that of D.H. Lawrence, James Joyce, and most particulary Henry Miller, with whom he edited a short-lived avant-garde magazine in Paris in 1937. Their correspondence continued until Miller's death. Jean Fanchette, publisher of the bilingual literary revue Two Cities (1959-1964), promoted Durrell's work in his journal.

Lawrence George Durrell (February 27, 1912-November 7, 1990) was an expatriate British novelist, poet, dramatist, and travel writer, though he resisted affiliation with Britain and preferred to be considered cosmopolitan. Durrell was born in Jullundur, British India, and although his formal education was unsuccessful and he failed his university entrance examinations, Durrell had started writing poetry at the age of fifteen: his first collection, Quaint Fragment, was published in 1931. This was the first of many writings to be published, and though he is remembered as a great poet, much of his work in print is prose. Titles include Prospero's Cell, White Eagles over Serbia, Bitter Lemons, The Alexandria Quartet, The Revolt of Aphrodite, and The Avignon Quintet. In 1935, Durrell married Nancy Isobel Myers, the first of his four marriages, and with whom he lived for many years in Greece. In 1940 they had a daughter, Penelope Berengaria, and soon after had to take his family and escape from Greece to Egypt where he wrote about Corfu and their life on "this brilliant little speck of an island in the Ionian" in the poetic. During the war, Durrell served as a press attaché to the British Embassies, first in Cairo and then Alexandria. After the war he held various diplomatic and teaching jobs. It was in Alexandria that he met Eve (Yvette) Cohen, who was to become the model for the character Justine in the Alexandria Quartet. Durrell separated from Nancy in 1942. In 1947 he married Yvette Cohen and in 1951 they had a daughter, Sappho Jane, named after the legendary Ancient Greek poetess Sappho. Durrell separated from Eve Cohen in 1955, and was married again in 1961 to Claude-Marie Vincendon. Vincendon died of cancer in 1967. Durrell spent several years in the service of the Foreign Office. He was senior Press Officer to the British Embassies in Athens and Cairo, Press Attaché in Alexandria and Belgrade, Director of the British Institutes in Kalamata, Greece, and Cordoba, Argentina. He was also Director of Public Relations in the Dodecanese Islands and on Cyprus. His fourth and final marriage was in 1973 to Ghislaine de Boysson, whom he divorced in 1979. Durrell suffered from emphysema for many years. He died of a stroke at his house in Sommiéres, France in November 1990.

Lawrence Durrell was born in India and educated there and in England. He was refused admission to Cambridge University and left England in 1935. He edited "The Booster" with Henry Miller and Alfred Perlès 1937-39. He later worked in various government, newspaper and teaching positions in such places as Egypt, Greece, Yugoslavia, Cyprus, and Argentina. He became a full time writer in 1957 and moved to France. He was mainly a writer of poetry and novels, but also worked as a playwright, short story writer, translator, travel writer, and editor. His major works include "The Alexandria Quartet" "The Black Book", "Tunc" and "Nunquam". He also wrote many volumes of poetry and travel literature. He won several awards for his work. He also wrote under the pseudonyms "Charles Norden (Panic Spring) and Gaffer Peeslake (Bromo Bombastes). He had a close friendship, spanning many years, with Henry Miller and Alfred Perlès. He died in Sommieres, France. The University of Victoria Libraries Special Collections has a mandate to acquire literary papers.

Lawrence George Durrell (February 27, 1912-November 7, 1990) was an expatriate British novelist, poet, dramatist, and travel writer. Durrell was born in Jullundur, British India and published his first collection of poetry, Quaint Fragment, at age 19. This was the first of many writings to be published, and though he is remembered as a great poet, much of his work in print is prose. Publications include: Prospero's Cell, White Eagles over Serbia, Bitter Lemons, The Alexandria Quartet, The Revolt of Aphrodite, and The Avignon Quintet. In 1935, Durrell married Nancy Isobel Myers and moved to Greece. In 1940 they had a daughter, Penelope Berengaria, and soon after had to escape from Greece to Egypt where he wrote about Corfu and their life on "this brilliant little speck of an island in the Ionian" in the poetic. During the war, Durrell served as a press attaché to the British Embassies, first in Cairo and then Alexandria. After the war he held various diplomatic and teaching jobs. Durrell separated from Nancy in 1942 and in 1951 he married Yvette Cohen, the model for the character Justine in the Alexandria Quarter. Durrell separated from Eve Cohen in 1955, and was married again in 1961 to Claude-Marie Vincendon. Vincendon died of cancer in 1967. Durrell spent several years in the service of the Foreign Office. He was senior Press Officer to the British Embassies in Athens and Cairo, Press Attaché in Alexandria and Belgrade, Director of the British Institutes in Kalamata, Greece, and Cordoba, Argentina. He was also Director of Public Relations in the Dodecanese Islands and on Cyprus. His fourth and final marriage was in 1973 to Ghislaine de Boysson, whom he divorced in 1979. Durrell suffered from emphysema for many years. He died of a stroke at his house in Sommières, France in November 1990.