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  The Poetry of John Dryden -...

  John Dryden

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  John Dryden was born on August 9th, 1631 in the village rectory of Aldwincle near Thrapston in Northamptonshire and grew up in a nearby village.  In 1644 he was sent to Westminster School as a King's Scholar and then obtained his BA in 1654, graduating top of the list for Trinity College, Cambridge that year.  
  Returning to London during The Protectorate, Dryden found work with Cromwell's Secretary of State, John Thurloe.  At Cromwell's funeral on November 23rd 1658 he found company with the Puritan poets John Milton and Andrew Marvell.  The setting was to be a sea change in English history. From Republic to Monarchy and from one set of lauded poets to what would soon become the Age of Dryden. Later that year he published the first of his great poems, Heroic Stanzas (1658), a eulogy on Cromwell's death.  
  With the Restoration of the Monarchy in 1660 Dryden celebrated in verse with Astraea Redux, an authentic royalist panegyric and with the re-opening of the theatres he began to also write plays. His first, The Wild Gallant, appeared in 1663 and whilst not successful, he was contracted to produce three plays a year for the King's Company, in which he became a shareholder. During the 1660s and '70s, theatrical writing was his main source of income.    
  In 1667, he published Annus Mirabilis, a lengthy historical poem which described the English defeat of the Dutch naval fleet and the Great Fire of London.  This work established him as the pre-eminent poet of his generation, and was crucial in his attaining the posts of Poet Laureate in 1668 and a couple of years later, historiographer royal (1670) as his talent encompassed many forms; from Poetry to Plays to translations. 
  In 1694 he began work on what would be his most ambitious and defining work as translator, The Works of Virgil (1697), which was published by subscription. It was a national event.  
  John Dryden died on May 12th, 1700, and was initially buried in St. Anne's cemetery in Soho, before being exhumed and reburied in Westminster Abbey ten days later. 
   This volume comes to you from Portable Poetry, a specialized imprint from Deadtree Publishing.  Our range is large and growing and covers single poets, themes, and many compilations.

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  Stacy (NHB Modern Plays)

  Jack Thorne

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  Rob finds life confusing in a world of unwritten rules. If there's no one around to tell him right from wrong, except for a copy of FHM and a call-centre supervisor, he just has to guess. But he's never been very lucky, and sometimes he gets his guesses very wrong.
  This play was first staged at the Arcola Theatre, in 2007.
  'a pin-sharp, brilliant piece of work' - Time Out, Critics' Choice
  'a challenging, disturbing and distinctive new voice' - The Times
  'This one man show will blow your socks off... one of the most entertaining nights I've had at the theatre' - London Lite

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  The Beginning of the Empress

  Kiara George

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  Step into a world where the spoken word meets the beats of the streets. "The Beginning of the Empress" invites you on a poetic journey infused with the rhythm and flow of modern rap. In this audacious audiobook, each verse pulsates with energy, weaving tales of triumph, love, and self-discovery. 
  From the first track to the final crescendo, you'll find yourself entranced by the syncopated cadence of her verses, carried away on a wave of introspection and joy. With each track, she paints vivid landscapes of emotion, inviting you to dance in the rhythm of her words and lose yourself in the magic of her storytelling. 
  "The Beginning of the Empress" isn't just an audiobook; it's an experience—an invitation to embrace the power of language and music in perfect harmony. So, plug in your headphones, turn up the volume, and let the journey begin. Welcome to a new era of poetry, where the empress reigns supreme, and every word is a testament to her majesty.

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  The Man Who Died Twice

  Loren Robinson

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  Captain Ben Morgan had served with the 8th Air Force in World War II. At home he had a wife and three young children. Three more missions and he could go home. But a bombing run in his B-24 over Hamburg changed his life forever. Shot down by German fire, he was reported killed in action, but a German doctor saved his life and rebuilt his face. His wife, Jenny, waited five years for his hoped-for return, then married George Albright. When Bens’s brother Dale received his phone call, telling him he was alive, Dale told him his wife had remarried. Ben had to choose between reclaiming his family or leave things as they were, and he could approach her without being recognized. He discovered Jenny had adjusted, and her children knew only George as their father. Which way would he choose? The answer was to affect many lives for many years to come.

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  The Arctic Diaries

  Melissa Davies

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  A poetic project of preservation and sense of place. Rich imagery and language dives deep into the lives of coastal communities in the far north of Norway, from debut poet, Melissa Davies
  When the fisherman dies Fleinvær stories spill out silver strings, like guts from a spring catch. But between these pages they survive.
  The Arctic Diaries chart generations of the characters, myths and misremembered details that make up the oral traditions of a windswept archipelago in Norway's far north. Created over a single arctic winter, using stories gathered from the last surviving fisherman of Langholmen, this collection of poems are part history, part field notes, exploring what role the outsider plays in preserving the experience of another.

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  Merit (NHB Modern Plays)

  Alexandra Wood

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  Against all odds, recent graduate Sofia gets a job as PA to one of the wealthiest bankers in the country. But her mother questions whether she gave more than a good interview to get it.
  While the unapologetic bankers get rich, others are losing everything they've worked for. Just what will they be driven to? Suicide? Murder? In a subtle game of cat and mouse, split loyalties and conflicting morals, Alexandra Wood's thrilling and darkly funny new play looks at the complexities of a mother-daughter relationship, the growing gap between rich and poor, and a young woman stuck in between.
  Alexandra Wood's previous plays include an adaptation of Jung Chang's Wild Swans (Young Vic/American Repertory Theater); The Initiate (Paines Plough); The Empty Quarter (Hampstead Theatre) and The Eleventh Capital (Royal Court).

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