When the Durrells expert Michael Haag died in 2020, it was feared that his definitive biography of Larry would never emerge. But, happily, it turned out that he had left complete chapters covering Durrell’s life up to the time he left for South America in 1947. These chapters include the most engaging and interesting years of Larry’s life - his childhood in India and Burma, his Bohemian life in London and Paris, his madcap idea of moving his family to Corfu (immortalised in his brother Gerry’s My Family and Other Animals).

But for Durrell enthusiasts, the key part of this new biography are the chapters set in Alexandria, which Michael had unrivalled knowledge about, having met many of the key figures, and walked every street. His account of those years bring to life the backdrop and real-life stories that Durrell interwove to create his acknowledged masterpiece, The Alexandria Quartet.