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Inspired by Mexico – Malcolm Lowry

Our friend Jimena Gorraez – Belmar who works for the cultural minister for Mexico in London, is going to be updating us on Mexican culture in London and around the world with a few guest blogs. Mexican culture is taking over the London scene with so many exciting things to look forward to… Moctezuma at the British Museum now open, The Latin Film Festival, Gabriel Orozco exhibition at Tate Modern (coming soon apparently), and visits from some legendary Mexican chefs such as Monica Patino and Diana Kennedy.

Today Jimena is talking about Malcolm Lowry, the British poet and novelist most famous for his novel, Under the Volcano that he wrote while living in Mexico.

Little is known about the fascination that Mexico caused on some of Britain’s most important 20th century writers. The country was a magnet for those seeking a little bit more than an adventure but somehow ended finding a piece of heaven on earth.

This is precisely what happened to Malcolm Lowry whose centenary is celebrated from 24 September at the BlueCoat Arts Centre (www.thebluecoat.org.uk) in Liverpool. The programme will include a special section on his Mexico years which proved crucial in his life and literary career.

Malcolm Lowry went to Mexico in 1936 after spending some time the psychiatric ward of Bellevue Hospital in New York City. In an attempt to save his marriage to the famous French actress Jan Gabrial, the couple moved to the city of Cuernavaca. The marriage did not last long and Lowry was left alone in Mexico.

However, the city became the setting of his masterpiece Under the Volcano, also considered one of the greatest novels of the 20-century. In Cuernavaca, Lowry found the perfect landscapes for his groundbreaking novel.

Under the Volcano tells the story of Geoffrey Firmin, a British Consul posted to the small town of Quauhnauhuac (easily recognised as Cuernavaca) and his experiences during the Day of the Dead in 1938.

Later on, he moved to the beautiful city of Oaxaca where his alcohol problems aggravated to the point that rumour has it that Lowry forgot the first draft of his manuscript in bar. Luckily for us readers he got it back pretty quick.

Although living a turbulent and difficult life, it is undeniable that Lowry’s years in Mexico proved to be the most creative of his career. An author that did not published much in life but who left an invaluable legacy for literature lovers and who saw in Mexico a true source of inspiration.

Malcolm Lowry

www.thebluecoat.org.uk