Lives of Houses

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A group of notable writers, including UK poet laureate Simon Armitage, Julian Barnes, and Margaret MacMillan, delve into our fascination with the homes of renowned literary figures, artists, composers, and politicians. What insights can a house offer about its inhabitant? Do we shape our living spaces, or do they shape us? This collection of essays, edited by Kate Kennedy and Hermione Lee, features contributions from biographers, historians, critics, and poets who explore these compelling questions. The essays take us through the lives of figures such as W. H. Auden in New York, W. B. Yeats in his Irish tower, and Benjamin Disraeli grappling with societal expectations. We also uncover the lost homes of Virginia Woolf and Elizabeth Bowen, and visit Benjamin Britten in Aldeburgh and Jean Sibelius in Finland. Additionally, the collection reflects on those without homes, like the wandering poet John Clare and the exiled writer Dambudzo Marechera. With over forty illustrations, this work illuminates the significance of houses in our lives and their role in connecting us to the past, offering a fresh perspective on the concept of home.