From his remarkable debut The Hawk in the Rain (1957) to his death in 1998, Ted Hughes was a colossal presence in the English literary landscape. He was also admired as a performer of his own work. Crow is one of his most significant collections, focusing on the central figure of the crow - predatory, mocking and indestructible. Crow is read here by the author in its entirety and with narrative links not included in the published text. Ted Hughes (1930-1998) was born in Yorkshire. The Hawk in the Rain was published by Faber and Faber and was followed by many volumes of poetry and prose for adults and children, including Moortown Diary (1979). He received the Whitbread Book of the Year for both Tales from Ovid (1997) and Birthday Letters(1998). He was Poet Laureate from 1984, and in 1998 he was appointed to the Order of Merit. "English poetry has found a new hero and nobody will be able to read or write verse now without the black shape of Crow falling across the page." PETER PORTER ©1970 Estate of Ted Hughes (P)1997 Faber Audio