Homer-Haunted
The Many Afterlives of an Ancient Poet
Will be published approx. on 16. July 2026
288 pages
978-1-3994-2818-7 (ISBN)
Description
'It's rich and beautiful and strange' Rory Stewart, The Rest Is Politics
'This is such a brilliantly told story of Homer-obsessives through the ages that, by the end, you're as hooked on Homer as they were' Frank Skinner
'Every page is an illuminating joy' A. N. Wilson
'An endlessly generous book' Daisy Hay
This is the story of how two ancient epics captured the world's imagination.
The siege of Troy and Odysseus' long voyage home have inspired many of our most thrilling and radical poets. Henry Power takes us on a surprising journey through the afterlives of these mysterious epics, and the search for the poet who created them.
Guiding us through the twists and turns of the Iliad and the Odyssey, Power travels to the places where Homer's stories have taken root - from the islands of Greece to the Scottish Highlands, the Devon coast to suburban Los Angeles - to trace the footsteps of the poets, politicians, lunatics, and lovers haunted by Homer's mythical heroes and monsters.
A dazzlingly original and deeply personal testament to the power of poetry, Homer-Haunted is an epic account of how our oldest stories have shaped the way we read, write, and think.
'This is such a brilliantly told story of Homer-obsessives through the ages that, by the end, you're as hooked on Homer as they were' Frank Skinner
'Every page is an illuminating joy' A. N. Wilson
'An endlessly generous book' Daisy Hay
This is the story of how two ancient epics captured the world's imagination.
The siege of Troy and Odysseus' long voyage home have inspired many of our most thrilling and radical poets. Henry Power takes us on a surprising journey through the afterlives of these mysterious epics, and the search for the poet who created them.
Guiding us through the twists and turns of the Iliad and the Odyssey, Power travels to the places where Homer's stories have taken root - from the islands of Greece to the Scottish Highlands, the Devon coast to suburban Los Angeles - to trace the footsteps of the poets, politicians, lunatics, and lovers haunted by Homer's mythical heroes and monsters.
A dazzlingly original and deeply personal testament to the power of poetry, Homer-Haunted is an epic account of how our oldest stories have shaped the way we read, write, and think.
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Illustrations
14 black and white integrated illustrations
File size
40,46 MB
ISBN-13
978-1-3994-2818-7 (9781399428187)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Book
approx. 07/2026
Bloomsbury Continuum
€31.50
Not yet published
Person
Henry Power studied Classics and English at Oxford and then took his PhD at Cambridge. He is now Professor of English Literature at the University of Exeter. He has published widely and his most recent book is an edition of Alexander Pope's Major Works for Oxford University Press. He is also a regular contributor to publications such as the Times Literary Supplement, Evening Standard and Literary Review, and has appeared as a guest on In Our Time on BBC Radio 4.
Content
Note on the Text
Introduction
1. Rebirth: George Chapman
2. Mosaic: Alexander Pope
3. Fragments: Ossian and James Macpherson
4. Discovery: John Keats
5. Fathers and Sons: Matthew Arnold
6. Small Things: Elizabeth Barrett Browning
7. Exile: H.D. (and Ezra Pound)
8. Theft by Finding: Christopher Logue
9. Pleasure-Seeking: Thom Gunn
10. Music: David Melnick
11. Empire: Derek Walcott
12. The Glorious Deeds of Men: Alice Oswald, Sasha Dugdale and A. E. Stallings
Afterword: Homer's Octopus
Glossary of Homeric Names
Acknowledgements
Extract Permissions
Further Reading and References
Index
Introduction
1. Rebirth: George Chapman
2. Mosaic: Alexander Pope
3. Fragments: Ossian and James Macpherson
4. Discovery: John Keats
5. Fathers and Sons: Matthew Arnold
6. Small Things: Elizabeth Barrett Browning
7. Exile: H.D. (and Ezra Pound)
8. Theft by Finding: Christopher Logue
9. Pleasure-Seeking: Thom Gunn
10. Music: David Melnick
11. Empire: Derek Walcott
12. The Glorious Deeds of Men: Alice Oswald, Sasha Dugdale and A. E. Stallings
Afterword: Homer's Octopus
Glossary of Homeric Names
Acknowledgements
Extract Permissions
Further Reading and References
Index
