Lawrence Durrell

Lawrence Durrell, born on February twenty-seventh, nineteen twelve, was an expatriate British novelist, poet, dramatist, and travel writer. The eldest brother of naturalist Gerald Durrell, he was born in India to British colonial parents and relocated to England at the age of eleven for his education. Disliking formal schooling, he began writing poetry at the age of fifteen, and by twenty-three, he had published his first book in nineteen thirty-five.

In March nineteen thirty-five, Durrell, along with his mother and younger siblings, moved to the picturesque island of Corfu, where he would spend many years living around the world. His most renowned work, The Alexandria Quartet, was published between nineteen fifty-seven and nineteen sixty, with the first novel, Justine, becoming particularly celebrated. This series showcased his unique narrative techniques and deep exploration of character and place.

Beginning in nineteen seventy-four, Durrell embarked on The Avignon Quintet, employing similar literary styles. The first novel in this series, Monsieur, or the Prince of Darkness, earned him the James Tait Black Memorial Prize in nineteen seventy-four, while the middle novel, Constance, or Solitary Practices, received a nomination for the Booker Prize in nineteen eighty-two. Throughout the twentieth century, Durrell emerged as a bestselling author and one of England's most esteemed writers.

To support his literary endeavors, Durrell worked for many years in the British government's Foreign Service. His experiences in various locations during and after World War II, particularly in Alexandria, Egypt, significantly influenced his writing. Over the course of his life, he married four times and had a daughter with each of his first two wives.