Spire

<b>WINNER OF THE DUFF COOPER MEMORIAL PRIZE</b> <br> <b>Cyprus 1953. As the island fights for independence from British colonial rule ancient conflicts between Turkish and Greek Cypriots trouble the glittering Mediterranean waters. Into the brewing storm comes ex-pat writer Lawrence Durrell yearning for the idyllic island lifestyle of his youth in Corfu. </b> With his poet's eye for beauty and humour - and passable Greek - Durrell settles into a dilapidated villa and brilliantly captures the moods and atmospheres of island life in a changing world. Whether collecting folklore or wild flowers describing the brewing revolution or eccentric local characters this is more than just a classic travel memoir - it is an unforgettably intimate portrait of a community lost forever.