Beautiful beyond life... Clive James's poetry

Unsurprisingly, in Clive James's latest poetry collection, the spectre of death looms large

'Sentenced to Life': Clive James

Valerie Shanley

Death has been a rich reference in Clive James's writing. Back in 2004, in his essay 'Save Us From Celebrity', he thought about his perfect demise: "I want to be knifed to death in an Elle McPherson lingerie commercial."

It's for that deadpan, Antipodean wit that most of us know James. Now, the resurrection of his literary work is taking centre stage. Since being diagnosed with terminal leukaemia and emphysema five years ago, James continues to frustrate the obituary writers, and is becoming startlingly productive as his time runs out. He has chosen poetry to best express a heightened awareness of the bittersweet beauty of life as he lingers in that last ante-chamber.