Beowulf

2013 | Fiction & Poetry

Winner of the 2011 Times Stephen Spender Prize Poetry Book Society Recommend Translation A warrior sets sail for a distant land, to a once great hall plagued by a murderous enemy - the monster Grendel. Can the hero Beowulf defeat his blood-thirsty foe, save the Geats from being wiped off the map, and claim his just rewards? The Anglo-Saxon epic poem Beowulf is brought to life by American poet Meghan Purvis in a vigorous, contemporary translation. Written across a range of poetic forms and voices, this rendering captures the thrust and gore of battle, the sinister fens and moorlands of Dark Age Denmark, and the treasures and glories of the mead-hall. Combining faithful translation with innovative versions and poems from alternative viewpoints, Purvis has created an exciting new interpretation of Beowulf - full of verve and the bristle of language. "This is a story about coming and going. This is a story about the sea..."

Meghan Purvis (Author)