Malcolm Lowry (1909 - 1957) was born in England and went to sea on leaving school, working as a deckhand and trimmer for about 18 months on his way to the Far East before returning to England to attend Cambridge. His first book, ULTRAMARINE, was accepted for publication when the author was 23, but the typescript was stolen and had to be reconsituted before its eventual publication in 1933. He travelled widely, living in Paris, New York and Italy, before settling in Mexico, where he wrote UNDER VOLCANO, widely regarded as one of the ost important novels of the 20th Century. Later he moved to British Columbia, spending over a decade in a squatter's shack, built largely by his own efforts, outside of Vancouver. He eventually returned to England, where he died "by misadventure" after a life of alcoholism. Posthumous works include HEAR US O LORD FROM HEAVEN THY DWELLING PLACE and DARK AS THE GRAVE WHEREIN MY FRIEND IS LAID.