A01=Sarah Houghton-Walker
asylum poetry
Author_Sarah Houghton-Walker
Category=DNBL
Category=DSC
ecological poet
eq_bestseller
eq_biography-true-stories
eq_isMigrated=1
eq_isMigrated=2
eq_new_release
eq_nobargain
eq_non-fiction
mental illness
nature poetry
Peasant poet
romantic poet
The Skylark
Product details
- ISBN 9781836391982
- Dimensions: 130 x 200mm
- Publication Date: 01 Jun 2026
- Publisher: Reaktion Books
- Publication City/Country: GB
- Product Form: Paperback
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John Clare’s life has often been told by casting him in various parts – rural genius, thwarted lover, environmentalist, lunatic poet. This biography revisits those familiar stories with a fresh perspective, setting Clare’s own words alongside a sharp reappraisal of his times. Drawing from his autobiographical writings, journals, letters and poetry, it presents a rich, grounded portrait of the man and the places that shaped him. Clare’s sense of identity, rooted in the land around him, was central to his voice as a poet. Through attentive readings of his verse, this book traces the creative and emotional arc of a life both ordinary and extraordinary. Clare emerges not as a tragic stereotype, but as a deeply thoughtful writer confronting change with clarity and care.
Sarah Houghton-Walker is a Fellow of Gonville and Caius College, University of Cambridge. She is a founder and co-director of the Centre for John Clare Studies. Her books include Wordsworth’s Poetry of Repetition (2023).
