Notes from the Henhouse

'THIS BOOK IS HEAVEN' OLIVIA LAING
'JOYOUS, STARTLING, FUNNY, LUSH' THE TIMES
'UTTERLY CAPTIVATING' INDIA KNIGHT

Elspeth Barker lived a riotous, rapturous, remarkable life, featuring:

- A gothic castle, a draughty Norfolk farmhouse and a malevolent Aga

- A pet pig named Portia whose penchant for drama leads to an obsession with geraniums and an addiction to wine (the Bulgarian vintage)

- George Barker, poet and beloved husband, warbling cowboy songs into his glass and declaiming Hopkins and Houseman in The Drinking Room

- Five entrancing baby cherubimos, rolling and bouncing about in a big brass bed, before growing up at breakneck speed

- The ecstasy of writing, the dither of procrastination and the endless adventures to be had in the wild realms of the imagination

From the author of the beloved modern classic O Caledonia, this collection of autobiographical writing gives a joyful insight into the mind of a truly original and enchanting writer.

A W&N Essential with an Introduction by Raffaella Barker