Derek Walcott

John Thieme here provides a comprehensive study of Derek Walcott's writing from its beginnings in the 1940s to his most recent work. Walcott's poetry and drama are set against the background of various contexts and intertexts--Caribbean, European and other--that have shaped him as a writer. The book contains a broad overview of Walcott's career for students and readers coming to the work of the 1992 Nobel Laureate for the first time.

Booknews

In a series showcasing non-Anglo writers outside and in the US and Britain, Thieme (background unspecified) overviews 1992 Nobel Prize for Literature winner Derek's literary output to date; and situates works from his first published poem, , to the 1998 Broadway musical in the West Indies milieu from which they sprang. A chronology (1930-1998) lists dates of the first performance of Walcott's unpublished plays. The primary bibliography lists Walcott's collections of verse, published plays, and a selection of his essays and interviews. Distributed by St. Martin's Press. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

John Thieme is Professor of English at South Bank University.