Over forty-five years have elapsed since Derek Mahon announced his arrival at the forefront of Irish literary life with the release of Night-Crossing, but he remains an elusive figure.

In the first comprehensive biography of Ireland's greatest living poet, Stephen Enniss uncovers a remarkable personal story. Here he establishes the life circumstances which stimulated or provoked Derek Mahon into poetic response, detailing for the first time his troubled upbringing in Belfast, his youthful suicide attempt and his decades-long struggle with alcoholism. He sets Mahon's...