The Inferno

"Abandon all hope you who enter here." Dante's Hell is one of the most remarkable visions in Western literature. An allegory for his and future ages, it is, at the same time, an account of terrifying realism. Passing under a lintel emblazoned with these frightening words, the poet is lead down into the depths by Virgil and shown those doomed to suffer eternal torment for vices exhibited and sins committed on earth. The Inferno is the first part of the long journey which continues through redemption to revelation -- through Purgatory and Paradise -- and, in this translation prepared especially for audiobook, his images are as vivid as when the poem was first written in the early years of the 14th century. As poet, playwright and actor, Heathcote Williams has made a significant contribution to many fields. He is best known for his extended poems on environmental subjects, Whale Nation, Fallingfor a Dolphin, and Sacred Elephant. But his plays have also won acclaim, notably AC/DC, produced at London's Royal Court, and Hancock's Last Half Hour. As an actor he has been equally versatile -- among his most memorable roles was Prospero in Derek Jarmen's film of The Tempest.