Dorothy L Sayers: A Biography: Death, Dante and Lord Peter Wimsey

by Colin Duriez

Publisher:

Lion Books

, 2021

Dorothy L. Sayers was a woman of contrasts.

A strong Christian, she had a baby - out of wedlock - by a man she did not love. Possessing a fierce intellect, she translated Dante, and also created one of the most popular fictional detectives ever in Lord Peter Wimsey. Drawing on material often difficult to access, particularly her collected letters, Colin Duriez reassesses Sayers’ life, her writings, her studies, and her faith to present a rich and captivating portrait of this formidable character.

Contents

Contents
Preface. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
1. Looking Back: To the Beginning and Later on
(1893–97, 1943) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
2. Bluntisham and Salisbury: Schooling at Home and
Away (1898–1912). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
3. Somerville College, Oxford (1912–15). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
4. Poetry, Publishing, and a Try at Teaching (1916–20). . . 70
5. An Accidental Birth and Complex Domesticity
(1921–26). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
6. Guinness Was Good for Her (1922–29). . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
7. Lord Peter Wimsey and Eric the Skull: Within the
Golden Age of the Detection Club (1930–36). . . . . . . . 120
8. From Page to Stage: Telling the Greatest Story
(1936–51). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
9. A New Love: Rebooting Dante and The Divine Comedy
(1944–57). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Epilogue. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
Dorothy L. Sayers: A chronology. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178
Appendix: Charles Williams’ review of The Nine Tailors
by Dorothy L. Sayers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
Select Bibliography. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213

Praise for Dorothy L Sayers: A Biography

“An arresting, engaging and compelling portrait of the life, work, and faith of Dorothy L. Sayers.” Brian Sibley, author of Shadowlands

“Like no author I know, Colin puts his reader ‘there’– into the daily life of his subject with such proficiency it’s as if he knew DLS personally. An irresistible read!” Carolyn Curtis, author of Women and C.S. Lewis: What his life and literature reveal for today’s culture (Oxford: Lion Hudson, 2015)

“Duriez delivers a fresh perspective on the brilliance of Sayers, exploring her development as a novelist/poet/playwright with vibrant precision. This book is a delight for fans and scholars alike.” Crystal Hurd, author and researcher

Product Details

• Title: Dorothy L Sayers: A Biography
• Author: Colin Duriez
• Publisher: Lion Books
• Print Publication Date: 2021
• Logos Release Date: 2021
• Language: English
• Resources: 1
• Format: Digital › Ebook
• ISBNs: 9780745956930, 9780745956923, 0745956920, 0745956939
• Resource ID: LLS:9780745956930
• Resource Type: Monograph
• Metadata Last Updated: 2023-10-17T10:33:19Z

About Colin Duriez

Colin Duriez was for many years general books editor for Inter-Varsity Press in Leicester, England. A professional writer, he also currently offers acquisitions, editorial and project management services through his own business, InWriting, based in Keswick, Cumbria. He studied at the University of Istanbul, the University of Ulster (where he was a founding member of the Irish Christian Study Centre), and under Francis Schaeffer at L'Abri in Huemoz, Switzerland. He has held a variety of teaching and editorial posts spanning nearly thirty years. Duriez won the Clyde S. Kilby Award in 1994 for his research on the Inklings. He has published many articles, books and other written works, and he has spoken to a variety of literary, academic and professional groups in a number of countries. He has also appeared as a commentator on the extended-version film DVDs of the Lord of the Rings Trilogy (Peter Jackson, director), PBS's The Question of God, which compared C. S. Lewis and Sigmund Freud, and the Sony DVD Ringers about Tolkien fandom and the impact of Tolkien on popular culture. His best-known books include The C. S. Lewis Encyclopedia (Crossway/SPCK), The Inklings Handbook (with the late David Porter, Chalice), J. R. R. Tolkien and C. S. Lewis: The Gift of Friendship (Paulist Press/Sutton), Tolkien and The Lord of the Rings (Paulist Press/Sutton) and A Field Guide to Narnia (InterVarsity Press).