The Seeds Of Fiction: Graham Greene's Adventures In Haiti, 1954 1963

Description

A major new biography of Graham Greene with extensive new material; exclusive, never-before-seen photographs of Greene on his travels; and full family cooperation

An essential read for fans of literary biography, this book finally and fully illuminates a pivotal episode in Graham Greene's life and career in the kind of detail that will sate any fans of his work, but which also provides a fascinating glimpse into a writer's life. In 1965, Greene joined journalist Bernard Diederich in the Dominican Republic to embark on a tour of its border with Haiti, then ruled by "Papa Doc" Duvalier. They were accompanied by activist priest Jean-Claude Bajeux. Diederich had known Greene since the mid-1950s and had lived in Haiti for 14 years. He was a seasoned correspondent for the British and North American press and had reported many stories from the region, including Castro's triumph in Cuba and the death of the Dominican dictator, Trujillo. In 1963, he had been thrown out of Haiti and when Greene arrived was working from the Dominican Republic. The famous novelist was 61 and depressed, having struggled to finish "A Burnt-Out Case," and was being plagued by religious doubt; Bajeux, meanwhile, had been informed that his family had been "disappeared" by Duvalier's henchmen. As this trio traveled along the border they met a number of rebels and other characters later fictionalized in Greene's most politically charged novel, "The Comedians," published the following year. This book tells the story of how a series of extraordinary and often hair-raising journeys gave one of the greatest novelists of the 20th century new inspiration in his writing.

Author description

Bernard Diederich is a journalist, originally from New Zealand, who launched the English-language weekly newspaper the "Haiti Sun" in 1950, and subsequently became the resident correspondent for the Associated Press, the "New York Times," the Time-Life News Service, and London's "Daily Telegraph." In 1963, as a result of his courageous reporting, Diederich was arrested by Papa Doc's Tontons-Makouts, imprisoned, and ultimately expelled from the country. In exile in the Dominican Republic, he was staff foreign correspondent for the Time-Life News service. Richard Greene is an associate professor at the University of Toronto and the editor of "Graham Greene: A Life in Letters." He lives in Cobourg, Ontario. Pico Iyer is an essayist and novelist whose books include" The Man Within My Head" and" The Open Road." He writes for such publications as "Harper's," "New York Review of Books," and "Time."