Ronald Blythe's 1969 book Akenfield - a moving portrait of English country life told in the voices of the farmers and villagers themselves - is a modern classic. In 2004, writer and reporter Craig Taylor returned to the village in Suffolk on which Akenfield was based. Over the course of several months, he sought out locals who had appeared in the original book to see how their lives had changed, he met newcomers to discuss their own views, and he interviewed Ronald Blythe himself, now in his eighties. Young farmers, retired orchardmen and Eastern European migrant workers talk about the nature of farming in an age of computerization and encroaching supermarkets; commuters, weekenders and retirees discuss the realities behind the rural idyll; and the local priest, teacher and more describe the daily pleasures and tribulations of village life. Together, they offer a panoramic and revealing portrait of rural English society at a time of great change.

'Gentle, subtle, absorbing ... the most complex and supple account of that much-discussed idea, "modern rural life", that I have ever read' Robert Macfarlane, author of Mountains of the Mind and The Wild Places

About the Author
Craig Taylor is the author of two books, Return to Akenfield and One Million Tiny Plays About Britain, which began life as a column in the Guardian newspaper. Both have been adapted for the stage. He is the editor of the literary magazine, Five Dials. His third book, Londoners: The Days and Nights of London as Told by Those Who Love it, Hate it, Live it, Long for it, Have Left it and Everything In-between will be published autumn, 2011. Born in Edmonton, Alberta, he grew up on Vancouver Island. He now lives in London.

Reviews
Gentle, subtle, absorbing ... the most complex and supple account of that much-discussed idea, "modern rural life", that I have ever read -- Robert Macfarlane, author of MOUNTAINS OF THE MIND and THE WILD PLACES



Book Information
ISBN 9781862079236
Author Craig Taylor
Format Paperback
Page Count 288
Imprint Granta Books
Publisher Granta Books
Weight(grams) 193g
Dimensions(mm) 198mm * 129mm * 16mm