John Sutherland, famed for his breadth of literary knowledge and insight, has selected approximately 130 biographies from the Dictionary of National Biography to create this lively and entertaining anthology of some of the most prominent figures in British 20th-century literature. He has alsowritten a comprehensive introduction, pleasurable to read in its own right, which outlines the reasons behind the choices he has made.Following on from the success of Brief Lives, which was published in hardback in 1997 and subsequently in paperback, this title will be published alongside two other similar titles, Stage and Screen Lives and Political Lives.Many of the articles have been written by men and women who are famous in the field of literature in their own right. They include writers, poets, and playwrights.Stephen Spender on W. H. AudenPaul Johnson on J. B. PriestleyKingsley Amis on John BetjemanMichael Denison on Noel CowardRichard Ellmann on T. S. EliotJohn Wain on Philip LarkinWoodrow Wyatt on Arthur KoestlerAnthony Thwaite on Sylvia PlathMargaret Lane on Beatrix PotterDouglas Woodruff on Evelyn WaughFrances Donaldson on P. G. WodehouseThe bigraphies and John Sutherland's introduction combine to provide a highly entertaining and varied read, which should appeal to a wide audience of general readers and students alike.