For the first time, one volume surveys the life, works and critical reputation of one of the most significant British writers of the twentieth-century: Ted Hughes.

This accessible guide to Hughes’ writing provides a rich exploration of the complete range of his works. In this volume, Terry Gifford:

offers clear and detailed discussions of Hughes’ poetry, stories, plays, translations, essays and letters

includes new biographical information, and previously unpublished archive material, especially on Hughes’ environmentalism

provides a comprehensive account of Hughes’ critical reception, separated into the major themes that have interested readers and critics

offers useful suggestions for further reading, and incorporates helpful cross-references between sections of the guide.

Part of the Routledge Guides to Literature series, Ted Hughes presents an accessible, fresh, and fascinating introduction to a major British writer whose work continues to be of crucial importance today.