This elegant edition pays homage to one of the most revered voices of Russian literature. Introduced by the celebrated novelist Eimear McBride and illustrated with evocative photographs, this selection covers the full scope of Akhmatova’s work, from her early poems to her later revolutionary pieces.
In pre-revolutionary St Petersburg, Anna Akhmatova (1889–1966) was the femme fatale of Russian literature, fêted for her intimate, avant-garde verse. After the 1917 revolution her poetry became vehemently political, lamenting the persecution of her compatriots and decrying the ‘bloodstained boots’ that trampled on ‘innocent Russia’.
This new Folio Society edition, which includes poems from throughout Akhmatova’s career, and features photographs that reflect the fascination her talent and beauty inspired, is beautifully introduced by Eimear McBride, author of A Girl is a Half-formed Thing, which won the 2014 Baileys Women’s Prize for Fiction. D. M. Thomas’s translator’s notes are also included, while the binding features a textile design by Liubov Popova, a contemporary of Akhmatova’s. The title page includes a pencil portrait by Amedeo Modigliani, reflecting Akhmatova's revered status, while alongside the poems are atmospheric photographs of Akhmatova and her beloved St Petersburg.
Three quarter-bound in blocked cloth with printed Modigliani paper sides
Set in Abril Display
