Book of the Month: Allegorizings by Jan Morris

Stanfords Book of the Month for November 2021 is Allegorizings by Jan Morris.

Published one year on from her death, at the age of ninety-four, Jan Morris’ Allegorizings is the final despatch from one of the greatest chroniclers of the Twentieth Century. 

‘Almost nothing in life is only what it seems.’ 

Jan Morris in 2018 outside her house in Wales with her Edward Stanford Outstanding Contribution to Travel Writing globe trophy.

Soldier, journalist, historian, author of forty books, Jan Morris led an extraordinary life, witnessing such historic moments as the first ascent of Everest, the Suez Canal Crisis, the Eichmann Trial, The Cuban Revolution and so much more. Now, in ‘Allegorizings’, published posthumously as was her wish, Morris looks back over some of the key moments of her life, and sees a multitude of meanings. 

From her final travels to the USA and across Europe to late journeys on her beloved trains and ships, from the deaths of her old friends Hilary and Tenzig to the enduring relationships in her own life, from reflections on identity and nations to the importance of good marmalade, it bears testimony to her uniquely kind and inquisitive take on the world. 

Allegorizings by Jan Morris is available to buy for £14.99 

Watch a video of Jan Morris’ editor, Angus Cargill from Faber and Faber introducing Allegorizings:

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