Literary Drinkers : ISBN 0-9552251-0-8
by Pete Bunten with graphics and design by Roger Buck.
Published 2006 - 44 pages, illustrated.
A5 - Softback : £2.95
"'The Muses", said Horace, "have usually smelt of drink first thing in the morning". And with that inspiriting thought in mind, let us go in search of the literary drinkers."
So began the first of Pete Bunten's 'Literary Drinkers' articles, written for InnSpire, the Chesterfield and District CAMRA magazine. Since the first article, in May 1996, the series has grown to explore the bibulous lives and works of literary giants from Chaucer to Robbie Burns, from Shakespeare to Dylan Thomas.
The articles chronicle some well-known literary facts as well as, perhaps, less-known details about drink, drinking habits, drinking circles and drinking establishments. From a writer with an obvious sympathy for his subject matter, they offer a wry, dry and entertaining take on the conventional literary biography.
'Writers are drawn to public houses, it seems, ... simply to find someone tolerant or drunk enough to listen to their bursts of prejudice or egomania. Most writers are, it goes without saying, egomaniacs.'
Regular readers will be delighted to know that a compilation of these absorbing studies – featuring illustrations by Roger Buck – has been produced and is now offered for general sale.
The 44-page book features the lives of 25 famous writers from Dylan Thomas to Thomas Hardy plus additional articles and is excellent value at just £2.95.
Here is what the critics said about ‘Literary Drinkers’:
‘Bunten is such an elegant and unforced handler of language that the book is a pure delight'. - Ted Bruning, ‘What’s Brewing: Newspaper of the Campaign for Real Ale'.
‘Witty and erudite'. - Adrian Beard, ‘A’ Level Chief Examiner and University lecturer.
‘A wry, dry and entertaining take on the conventional biography'
Literary Drinkers features: Flann O’Brien, Dylan Thomas, George Orwell, Robbie Burns, Chaucer, Shakespeare, Brendan Behan, Laurie Lee, Charles Dickens, Kingsley Amis, Jeffrey Bernard, Patrick Hamilton, Chesterton and Belloc, James Joyce, Malcolm Lowry, Samuel Beckett, Dr. Johnson, Robert Louis Stevenson, Kenneth Grahame, P G Wodehouse, John Clare, Charles Bukowski, Pivo, Jack London, Thomas Hardy.
Author, Pete Bunten, has written a novel, a range of magazine articles and some award-winning plays. He arrived by accident in Chesterfield and has yet to find a reason to leave.
Roger Buck is a graphic artist. He lives in Chesterfield, conveniently close to several excellent public houses, but prefers bars where, as Tom Waits says ....”no one speaks English and everything’s broken”.
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