This volume surveys the life and work of the Scottish poet Ian Hamilton Finlay, who is best known for his extraordinary garden, Little Sparta, a unique 'poem of place' in which poetry, sculpture, and horticulture intersect. This book directs sustained attention to Finlay the verbal artist, revealing the full breadth and richness of his poetics. It illuminates the evolution from his early years of composing plays, stories and lyrical poems to his discovery of Concrete poetry and his emergence as a key figure in the international avant-garde of the 1960s.

About the Author
Ian Hamilton Finlay (1925-2006) was an acclaimed Scottish poet and artist. Alec Finlay is an artist and poet.

Reviews
"A hugely enjoyable anthology of Finlay's writings, in prose, and truly beautiful-especially when surreal-verse." -- Andrew McNeillie Country Life "[Finlay's] temples are mock-historic edifices, but who are we to say that they are not sacred sites?" Booktryst "This welcome new volume ... is full of revelations that cast new light on the subject." -- Gerald Mangan Times Literary Supplement (TLS)



Book Information
ISBN 9780520270596
Author Ian Hamilton Finlay
Format Paperback
Page Count 334
Imprint University of California Press
Publisher University of California Press
Weight(grams) 363g
Dimensions(mm) 210mm * 140mm * 23mm