Bound Upon a Course

Bound Upon a Course, Volume 1, provides a generous and perceptive look into the life of the celebrated biographer John Stewart Collis. This autobiography traces his journey from a difficult childhood in Ireland to his formative years on the cultural fringe of London. Collis recounts his early interactions with significant literary figures such as W B Yeats, T S Eliot, and Rose Macaulay. The narrative explores his evolution as a writer and his deep connection to the literary world during a transformative era.

A pivotal shift occurs when Collis decides to work the land in 1940, a decision that fundamentally altered his career path. These rural experiences shaped his unique philosophy and led to his classic work, The Worm Forgives the Plough. As a synthesis of scientist, scholar, and poet, Collis offers an intriguing portrait of a life lived with academic rigor and poetic sensitivity. This memoir remains a significant piece of literary biography.