Something of his Art
Something of his Art is Horatio Clare’s recreation of the long walk that J. S. Bach took in the depths of winter in 1705 – his long walk to Lübeck across northern Germany, and visualising the light, landscape and wildlife the young, and as yet unknown composer would have seen. Something of his Art, is an imaginative evocation of what the twenty-year-old composer would have seen and felt on his long journey, a sustained visualisation of the landscape, light and wildlife of early eighteenth century Germany. Bach becomes Clare’s walking companion, a vestigial, but real presence as he acutely observes the season and places he passes through.
Horatio Clare
Horatio Clare is a critically acclaimed author and journalist. His first book, Running for the Hills: A Family Story, won the Somerset Maugham Award. His second book, Truant is ‘a stunningly-written memoir’, according to the Irish Times. A Single Swallow was shortlisted for the Dolman Travel Book of the Year; Down to the Sea in Ships won the Stanford-Dolman Travel Book of the Year 2015. Horatio’s first book for children, Aubrey and the Terrible Yoot, won the Branford Boase Award 2016 for best debut children’s book. Clare has written two books about mental health Heavy Light and most recently Your Journey, Your Way. Orison for A Curlew was Horatio’s first book book for Little Toller; he is also the author of Something of his Art. He lives in West Yorkshire.
Author portrait © Billie Charity/Hay Festival
