British Library acquires Logue archive as first War Music audiobook on way

The British Library has acquired the archive of poet Christopher Logue, comprising 22 boxes of private papers, 53 files of drafts, working materials and correspondence relating to War Music, and annotated printed books.

It said the archive "offers insight into the work and mind of a unique writer". Its acquisition was made possible with a contribution from the British Library Collections Trust.

To mark the 10th anniversary of Logue's death, the library will host an in-person event in his memory on 5th December, which will feature appreciations and recollections given by some of his closest collaborators, as well as readings performed by Harriet Walter and guests including Jon Hegley, Christopher Reid and Tariq Ali.

Blackstone Publishing will also release an audiobook of Logue’s own reading of his best-known work, War Music, a retelling of The Iliad through the eye of a committed pacifist, which was created over 45 years. The audiobook will be available from 23rd November and it will mark the first time the recording of War Music is available as an audiobook for a general audience. 

Logue’s widow, Rosemary Hill, said: "Christopher was an actor as well as a poet. He believed poetry should be performed, as it had been in Homer’s day, and from the 1950s he was a pioneer of poetry readings. He wrote poems to be read to jazz accompaniment, to be set to music and to be printed on posters. He wanted poetry to be part of everybody’s life."

Rachel Foss, head of contemporary archives and manuscripts at the British Library, added: "We are thrilled to have acquired the archive of Christopher Logue for the nation. Logue’s manuscript notebooks and drafts of War Music are phenomenally detailed and extensive. I have rarely seen drafts that evidence a writer’s working methods and the process of creative production with such depth: the potential they offer for researchers is exceptional. This acquisition builds significantly on the British Library’s collections of contemporary poetry archives, both manuscripts and sound recordings. We are looking forward to making the archive available to everyone to inspire research, learning, enjoyment and even, perhaps, the poets of tomorrow."