100 years from Lawrence Durrell’s birth

2012 is the Lawrence Durrel Centenary. The famous writer spend some of his time in Greece on the island of Rhodes, where he also wrote his book, Reflections on a Marine Venus/a companion to the landscape of Rhodes.

There are loads of events being planned in the UK and elsewhere. I didn’t know that Lawrence Durrel was so popular but his fans’ online presence is really impressive. See for example:

http://www.lawrencedurrell.org/

http://durrell2012.com/durrell2012/about-durrell-2012/

http://whitemetropolis.wordpress.com/

2012 Durrell Centenary

Working jointly with the Lawrence Durrell Estate, Curtis Brown, Faber & Faber, and the British Library, the International Lawrence Durrell Society will host the 2012 Durrell Centenary at London House, on the grounds ofGoodenough College.

A lot of books are also being published in relation to the 100 years from the birth of the author:

Amateurs in Eden is written by Nancy’s daughter and is about Lawrence and Nancy Durrell’s life together. The book is based on the stories the author grew up with and tells a story of a great and adventurous love. You can find more on it here.

Using vintage photographs from the second half of the nineteenth century and the first half of the twentieth, many from private family albums, Michael Haag brings to life the world of a vanished Alexandria.

Do you think centenaries and anniversaries are more a marketing tool or do they show the audience’s genuine appreciation for a certain artist?

They are both, in my opinion. Still they can be a way to remind us of books or artists or even music we have learned/met/heard long ago as well as learn about new ones, what do you think?