12 Greek Poems after Cavafy

Throughout his adult life, C. P. Cavafy (1863-1933) rarely journeyed outside his native Alexandria, though he spent some of his childhood years in Liverpool and London. In the course of the 20th and 21st centuries, the reach of his poetry has been immense. It has been witnessed and addressed through a global wealth of versions, imitations and rewritings: those poems written 'in the manner of Cavafy', variously channelling his themes and style. Here, for the first time in English, is a selection of such work by poets writing in Cavafy's own language, Greek. Together they embed the intimacy of shared culture, skilfully mirroring passions and preoccupations. This bilingual presentation includes voices familiar to English readers, such as those of George Seferis and Yannis Ritsos, alongside lesser known names-all of them, engaged in layered dialogues with Cavafy. The result is a lasting image of literary influence and reception, and ultimately, of poetry translated by poetry.