Sentenced to Life

In his insightful collection of poems Clive James looks back over an extraordinarily rich life with a clear-eyed and unflinching honesty. There are regrets, but no trace of self-pity in these verses, which – for all their open dealings with death and illness – are primarily a celebration of what is treasurable and memorable in our time here. Again and again, James reminds us that he is not only a poet of effortless wit and lyric accomplishment: he is also an immensely wise one, who delights in using poetic form to bring a razor-sharp focus to his thought. Miraculously, these poems see James writing with his insight and energy not only undiminished but positively charged by his situation: Sentenced to Life represents a career high point from one of the greatest literary intelligences of the age.His other poetry collections include Collected Poems, Angels Over Elsinore and Injury Time.

Clive James is the author of more than forty books. As well as verse and novels, he has published collections of essays, literary criticism, television criticism and travel writing, plus five volumes of autobiography, his Unreliable Memoirs. In 1992 he was made a Member of the Order of Australia, and in 2003 he was awarded the Philip Hodgins memorial medal for literature.His other poetry collections include Collected Poems, Angels Over Elsinore, Opal Sunset and Nefertiti in the Flak Tower.