Philip Larkin the Marvell Press and Me

by Jean Hartley

First published in 1989 Philip Larkin, the Marvell Press, and Me is the story of how this small publishing company became a chapter in literary history when, in 1955, the then novice publishers, of which Jean Hartley was one, were entrusted with the manuscript of Larkin's The Less Deceived.

The Less Deceived, Larkin's second collection, contained the mature Philip Larkin style - that of a detached observer of what Jean Hartley referred to as 'ordinary people doing ordinary things' - the virtues of which came to be associated with The Movement, the post-war generation of poets that used plain language and traditional forms to address everyday life in Britain. The themes of The Less Deceived resonated with readers and it became one of the most outstanding collections of 1955. Philip Larkin, the Marvell Press, and Me charts that progress and introduces the reader to the real Philip Larkin.

'Jean Hartley's story is a vital piece of evidence for anyone curious about Larkin's life.' Andrew Motion, Observer.

Genres: Biography Memoir, Literary Criticism, Biography

208 pages, Hardcover

First published December 1, 1989

Reviews

[Jill · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book, found by chance in a charity shop on my last shopping trip before isolation, has been a fascinating, multi-faceted read. Jean Hartley's story is, in itself, a remarkable one. Leaving school at 15. an unmarried mother at 19, she went on to lead an varied and extraordinary life. Her insights into the poetry publishing world and the people she encountered are told against the background of an upbringing in war-ridden Hull and through the second half of the C20. Philip Larkin's own story is woven with honesty and frankness into her own, although raising more questions than are ever answered about the man himself. The days of life-changing WEA classes, the popularity of modern jazz, the expanding of food choices are also captured: a time that seems like "only yesterday" but which would be unrecognisable to today's generation.

[Lyn Lockwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating woman, single mother at 17 in the 1940s, but went on to publish Philip Larkin's poetry and have a life long friendship with Larkin. Great evocative descriptions of Hull and the East Riding from 1930s to the 1980s.