Dr Neil Roberts

Peter Redgrove

Roberts is probably Redgrove's greatest admirer and his book does his man proud... Generous and insightful.

Redgrove's abundance and stamina as a conjuror of strangeness seem to me to be greatly under-admired, yet that has perhaps come about because of the very opulence of his imagination.

A Lucid Dreamer is sensible, readable, and sympathetic to its subject, without disguising his faults.

A Lucid Dreamer offers a sympathetic and accurate biography of the man in a book that traverses some pretty strange territory without loosing either its sense of humour or its respect for its subject.

Roberts is probably Redgrove’s greatest admirer and his book does his man proud … generous and insightful … if he pushes things too far in claiming Redgrove as a major talent, no-one in future will dare to describe him as a poor man’s Ted Hughes.

The Life of Peter Redgrove

The work of the poet Peter Redgrove is one of the great unexplored treasures of late twentieth century literature. His prolific output presents an intriguing variety of personae: magician, scientist, lover, psychologist, joker, madman. It is only now, with the publication of his Collected Poems and this biography, that we can see how and why these personae developed - and discover the full depth and range of this visionary writer. 
 
Born into an apparently conventional middle-class family that was in reality deeply disturbed, the poet finally emerged: transforming himself from the neurotic, Oedipal young scientist, through a process of mental breakdown, insulin coma therapy, erotic revelation and the discovery of poetic companionship at Cambridge - and particularly his friendship and rivalry with Ted Hughes. 
 
Neil Roberts explores the inner story of this emergence, and Redgrove's later development through marriage, family life, the fellowship of the 'Group', alcoholic excess, infidelity and marital breakdown to his triumphant later partnership with Penelope Shuttle. We also discover, for the first time, some darker secrets: his fascination with Aleister Crowley, his damaged and damaging relationship with his father, and the lifelong sexual fetish which he called the 'Game'. Drawing on the poet's intimate journals and correspondence, and interviews with family, friends and colleagues, A Lucid Dreamer tells the exceptionally inward and revealing story of an astonishing creative life.

Dr Neil Roberts

Praise for A Lucid Dreamer

Roberts is probably Redgrove's greatest admirer and his book does his man proud... Generous and insightful.

Mind bogglingly entertaining.

Redgrove's abundance and stamina as a conjuror of strangeness seem to me to be greatly under-admired, yet that has perhaps come about because of the very opulence of his imagination.

Roberts is probably Redgrove's greatest admirer and his book does his man proud... Generous and insightful.

Mind bogglingly entertaining.

Redgrove's abundance and stamina as a conjuror of strangeness seem to me to be greatly under-admired, yet that has perhaps come about because of the very opulence of his imagination.

Roberts is probably Redgrove's greatest admirer and his book does his man proud... Generous and insightful.

Mind bogglingly entertaining.

Redgrove's abundance and stamina as a conjuror of strangeness seem to me to be greatly under-admired, yet that has perhaps come about because of the very opulence of his imagination.

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