Diana Athill Knihy

Athill sa vyrovnáva s vlastným životom bez pátosu, ľútosti, sentimentu, triezvo, s humorom, vecne, ale nie sucho. Priznáva zlyhania, spomína na inšpiratívne vzory, vysmieva sa z nafúkanosti kultúrnych ikon svojej doby, spomína na lásky, partnerské, sexuálne vzťahy, priateľstvá, rodinné putá a napriek veku, v ktorom knihu napísala, sa so životom nelúči, iba prehadzuje pomyslenú rýchlosť. Skúma možnosti bežného života, radosti i smútky, záťaže i to, čo v starobe človeka oslobodzuje. Rekapituluje temné i svetlé stránky mladosti, stredného veku i staroby. Prechádza cestu, po ktorej ideme všetci, osvetľuje ju, komentuje, nechvastá sa aktívnym starnutím, priznáva bolesti, chátranie tela a so všetkým, čo ju zaťažuje, sa vyrovnáva nekonvenčne a smelo. Láska, sklamanie, choroba, smrť, náboženská viera či neviera, vzťahy, rodičovstvo, sex, starostlivosť videné z jej uhla pohľadu sú nové a zároveň dôverne známe.

Diana Athill, born in 1917, made her reputation as a writer with the candour of her memoirs. Celebrating her life and writing, this title brings together four of her best-loved memoirs, spanning her very English childhood, her life and loves during World War II, her publishing career at Andre Deutsch, and her reflections on old age.

The story of Diana Athill's relationship with Didi - a gifted writer and an Egyptian in exile - and a remarkably honest, poignant look at love and grief.

Athill's debut, and a modern classic memoir: a moving story of love and loss, heartbreak and hope during the second world war.

The warmth of a decades-long friendship unfolds through the correspondence between Diana Athill and American poet Edward Field. This epistolary memoir captures their shared jokes, joys, and struggles, showcasing Athill's signature intimacy and candor. With a blend of spontaneity and grace, the letters reveal profound insights into her life, making this work potentially more revealing than her previous acclaimed memoirs. Athill's literary prowess shines as she reflects on the depth of human connection.

England, in the mid-fifties. Meg Bailey has always aspired to live a respectable life. With her best friend, Roxane, she moves from secondary school to an un-Bohemian art college in Oxford. Under the watchful eye of Roxanne's mother, Mrs Wheeler, the two girls flourish in Oxfordian society. But Meg constantly longs for more. Not content to stay in Oxford, she finds a job in London. Roxane stays behind and marries Dick, a man of Mrs Wheeler's choosing. As Meg's independence grows, Dick suddenly appears in London for work. A connection to her past, Meg and Dick's friendship flourishes, blurring the lines of loyalty between what is and what was in a way that changes life for these three friends forever. As sharp and starling now as when it was written, this unflinching and candid book of love and betrayal encapsulates Diana Athill's gift of storytelling at its finest.

A collection of candid, entertaining letters, spanning thirty years of wit, wisdom, gossip and intimacy.

A sequel to the Costa Award-winning Somewhere Towards the End: a rich, humorous and intelligent consideration of growing old and what really matters in the end.

Diana Athill's account of her turbulent relationship with Black Power activist Hakim Jamal in the 1960s: raw and unflinching, a memoir of friendship, love, mania and injustice.

Fresh re-issue of Diana Athill's candid memoir of a life spent working as an editor of some of the most celebrated writers of the post war generation.