Roses and Rain - A Biography of James Elroy Flecker (Hardcover)

'Roses and Rain' by Heather Walker, is a comprehensive exploration of the life and work of James Elroy Flecker, poet, playwright and novelist. This full-length biography explores Flecker's Cotswold childhood, his school life at Dean Close, where his father was the headmaster, Uppingham, Oxford, and Cambridge. Walker then explores his career in the Levant Consular Service, his marriage to Greek Poetess Helle and his attempts, despite ill-health, homesickness and lack of money, to establish himself as a writer. Walker's meticulous research provides an insight into not only Flecker's short life but also the lives of other salient contemporaries such as Rupert Brooke, Ronald Firbank and Lawrence of Arabia. The narrative skilfully builds a picture of the formative events in Flecker's life, which enables the reader to observe the evolution of this gifted young poet. 'Roses and Rain' also presents a reproduction of the original manuscript of his most famous poem, The Golden Journey to Samarkand, and other citations from Flecker's published and unpublished works. After Flecker's untimely death in 1915, at the age of 30, his play Hassan was produced on stage to great acclaim and continues to be performed today. 'Roses and Rain' is the first Flecker biography to be published in over 30 years.