Internationally recognised poet James Sale has launched his new book at The Cosy Club in Bournemouth.
The event this week was attended by a full room of invited guests and featured readings by James and his son, novelist Joe Sale.
DoorWay is the third title in The English Cantos series and focuses on a modern interpretation of Dante’s heaven.
It is written in the traditional terza rima style and was inspired by James’ near-death experience during cancer treatment at Royal Bournemouth Hospital in 2011.
James said, “When I was being treated for cancer at Royal Bournemouth Hospital, I had a life changing out-of-body experience. I wanted to capture my experience through poetry.”
The book follows the format of Dante’s Divine Comedy and completes a trilogy representing inferno, purgatory and heaven.
Artworks inspired by the new book were also shown at the launch and will be exhibited at Upton Country Park from 5 to 16 June as part of The Wider Circle exhibition.
Joe Sale has also written a script based on HellWard, the first book in the series, and will be directing the film in the near future.
Professor Joseph S. Salemi from Hunter College, City University of New York, has described James’ books as “works of major significance.”