Obierz Mi Lotos / Charmian Clift
In 1954, the Australian writers Charmian Clift and George Johnston left the grey post-war London for Greece. Settling first on the tiny island of Kalymnos and then on Hydra, where they bought a house, their plan was simple: to live simply and focus on creating, far from the hustle and bustle of the big city. In the meantime, they struggled with the chaos of home life and three children, while also becoming the centre of an informal community of artists and writers. This group was later joined by Leonard Cohen, who became their lodger, and his girlfriend Marianne Ihlen.
“They drank more than most, wrote more, got sick more often, got well more often, cursed more often, blessed more often and helped much more. They were an inspiration,” is how Cohen later described Clift and Johnston.
Obierz mi lotos is a classic of travel literature, a beautiful story about Hydra bathed in sunlight, first published in Poland. Śpiew syreny will soon be published.
Author: Charmian Clift
Translation: Anna Gralak
Illustrations: Grzegorz Polański
Paperback
Pages: 252
Format: 130 x 200 mm