Author Description

<p>First published in 1989 <br/> <b>Philip Larkin, the Marvell Press, and Me</b> is the story of how this small publishing company became a chapter in literary history when, in 1955, the then novice publishers, of which Jean Hartley was one, were entrusted with the manuscript of Larkin's <br/> <b>The Less Deceived</b>. <br/> <br/><br/> <br/><br/> <b>The Less Deceived</b>, Larkin's second collection, contained the mature Philip Larkin style - that of a detached observer of what Jean Hartley referred to as 'ordinary people doing ordinary things' - the virtues of which came to be associated with The Movement, the post-war generation of poets that used plain language and traditional forms to address everyday life in Britain. The themes of <br/> <b>The Less Deceived</b> resonated with readers and it became one of the most outstanding collections of 1955. <br/> <b>Philip Larkin, the Marvell Press, and Me </b>charts that progress and introduces the reader to the real Philip Larkin. <br/> <br/><br/> <br/><br/> 'Jean Hartley's story is a vital piece of evidence for anyone curious about Larkin's life.' Andrew Motion, Observer.</p>