Skip to main content

The Many Drafts of D. H. Lawrence, by alumnus Elliott Morsia

The Many Drafts of D. H. Lawrence, by alumnus Elliott Morsia

  • Date30 November 2020

Alumnus Elliott Morsia (PhD English Literature 2017) has published a ground-breaking new study of D. H. Lawrence with Bloomsbury Academic.

Elliott Morsia and book cover.jpg

Exploring draft manuscripts, alternative texts and publishers' typescripts, The Many Drafts of D. H. Lawrence reveals new insights into the writings and writing practices of one of the most important writers of the 20th century.

Focusing on the most productive years of Lawrence's writing life, between 1909 and 1926 – a time that saw the writing of major novels such as Women in Love and the controversial The Plumed Serpent, as well as his first major short story collection – this book is the first to apply analytical methods from the field of genetic criticism to the archives of this canonical modernist author.

The book unearths and re-evaluates a variety of themes including the body, selfhood, the sublime, trauma, death, depression, and endings, and includes original transcriptions as well as reproductions from the manuscripts themselves. By charting Lawrence's writing processes, the book also highlights how the very distinction between 'process' and 'product' became a central theme in his work. Read more and order here.

Explore Royal Holloway