The Habit of Art: A Play [Paperback]

Benjamin Britten, sailing uncomfortably close to the wind with his new opera,Death in Venice, seeks advice from his former collaborator and friend, W. H. Auden. During this imagined meeting, their first in twenty-five years, they are observed and interrupted by, among others, their future biographer and a young man from the local bus station.

Alan Bennett's new play is as much about the theater as it is about poetry or music. It looks at the unsettling desires of two difficult men, and at the ethics of biography. It reflects on growing old, on creativity and inspiration, and on persisting when all passion's spent: ultimately, on the habit of art.

Alan Bennettis a renowned playwright, essayist, and storywriter whose playTheHistory Boyswon six Tony Awards. He is also the author of the Academy Awardnominated screenplayThe Madness of King George. He lives in London, England.

A multi-levelled work that deals with sex, death, creativity, biography and much else besides . . . beautifully written . . . deeply moving. Michael Billington, The Guardian

Bennett the maestro returns with a multi-layered masterpiece . . . hilariously provocative . . . mixes hard-won wisdom about such matters as the meaning of collaboration, the dubious value of biography . . . and flurries of delirious silliness. Paul Taylor, The Independent

Deft, amusing, and so intelligently and generously crafted that it makes you feel clever just watching it . . .The Habit of Artis a richly thought-provoking piece about many things, including artistic creation, the vulgarity of biography, sexuality, friendship, the bubble of reputation, but it also has an intriguingly autobiographical feel at times. What sort of artist have I been? Will anything survive? Christopher Hart, The Sunday Times