C.P. Cavafy in the English and American Literary Scenes : Authorising the Other

This book explores how C.P. Cavafy, once a little-known Alexandrian poet, achieved global recognition through the advocacy of influential English-language writers in the twentieth century.

C.P. Cavafy in the English and American Literary Scenes: Authorising the Other explores the global reputation of the Greek-Alexandrian poet C.P. Cavafy in relation to literary networks of the twentieth century. It examines how the writings of E.M. Forster, Lawrence Durrell, W.H. Auden, Stephen Spender, Joseph Brodsky, and James Merrill played a key role in establishing Cavafy''s standing in world literature and shaping perceptions of his authorial identity. Moving beyond conventional studies of reception, the book argues that the poet''s authorisation by his author-champions was inherently reciprocal: while these influential writers propelled the steady rise of Cavafy''s fame in England and America, they simultaneously reinforced their own authority as cultural arbiters. The analysis of overlooked aspects of these authors'' critical essays, translations, and fictionalised portrayals, reveals how their readings and presentation of Cavafy were shaped by their cultural preferences and ideological affiliations, ranging from British liberal humanism to Eurocentric exilic narratives, and from Cold War politics to queer poetics. By considering both published texts and unknown archival material about Cavafy, this book sheds light on the mobilisation of his poetry and persona to serve the artistic agendas of his authorisers. At once a history of literary mediation and a study of the dynamics that shape literary reputation, C.P. Cavafy in the English and American Literary Scenes rethinks the making of transnational cultural legitimacy and the mutual dependencies that sustain it.