Lawrence Durrell's typewriters
Lawrence Durrell: The Poet with a Vintage Typewriter’s Soul
Lawrence Durrell, the acclaimed author of The Alexandria Quartet, may not immediately conjure images of clacking typewriter keys, but his relationship with the machines of his era is as fascinating as his prose. While his lyrical and deeply philosophical novels are drenched in the essence of Alexandria, Corfu, and the other evocative locations he called home, few know that his typewriters were often as much a part of the story as his imagination.
The Tools of a Literary Craftsman
Durrell was a man of meticulous habits, and this extended to his writing instruments. While many of his contemporaries dabbled with newer electric typewriters, Durrell favored classic manual models. His devotion to typewriters wasn’t mere convenience; it was an extension of his creative process.
For much of The Alexandria Quartet (Justine, Balthazar, Mountolive, and Clea), he is believed to have used an Olivetti Lettera 22, a sleek, portable typewriter that mirrored the economy and precision of his prose. The Lettera 22, with its lightweight body and responsive keys, was perfect for a writer constantly on the move, penning his thoughts in seaside villas or sunlit courtyards.
He also spent countless hours on an Olympia Splendid, another lightweight yet durable model that allowed him the flexibility he needed to write in various locales. The Olympia’s solid feel and smooth mechanics may have influenced the layered and structured prose found in his later works, a kind of ordered complexity that matched the machine’s performance.
For his earlier works, like The Black Book, Durrell relied on the Smith Corona Three and Smith Corona Four models—renowned for their sturdiness and reliability. These Smith Coronas, with their solid builds and dependable mechanics, allowed Durrell to experiment freely with his stream-of-consciousness style and bold, experimental themes. The gritty realism and avant-garde style of The Black Book found resonance in the tactile feedback of the Smith Coronas, giving Durrell both physical and creative grounding.
A Typewriter’s Influence on Style
Durrell’s connection to his typewriters went beyond utility. The rhythmic clatter of keys seemed to echo in his writing. The Lettera 22’s fluid keystrokes may have contributed to the lyrical cadences of Justine, while the Hermes Baby’s compact precision mirrored the taut, jewel-like quality of Bitter Lemons. The Olympia Splendid, meanwhile, gave him a robust tool for his later, denser prose—a tactile structure that resonated with the density of his themes. And his early Smith Corona Three and Four models, solid and unyielding, were the perfect match for the visceral and edgy prose of The Black Book.
Durrell often spoke of writing as an act of alchemy, transforming experience into art. His typewriters became his crucibles, where raw thoughts were refined into masterpieces. "The typewriter," he once mused, "is less a tool than a co-conspirator, aiding me in the theft of fleeting inspiration."
The Romance of the Machine
Durrell’s affinity for typewriters wasn’t purely pragmatic; it was romantic. He described the machines as “modern oracles,” capable of channeling the subconscious into something tangible. For him, the tactile experience of pressing keys and the immediate physicality of words on a page created an intimacy with language that no fountain pen or later, computer, could match.
Finding Inspiration in Durrell’s Machines
Today, as vintage typewriters experience a resurgence among writers and collectors, Lawrence Durrell’s legacy reminds us of the profound connection between an artist and their tools. His Olivetti Lettera 22, Olympia Splendid, Smith Corona Three and Four, and Hermes Baby are more than artifacts; they’re symbols of a bygone era when writing was as much a physical act as a mental one.
A Call to Writers
Whether you're crafting your magnum opus or jotting down observations in a journal, consider doing it the Durrell way: with a vintage typewriter at your side. Let the tactile joy of keys and the satisfying clack of the carriage return guide your creativity. Perhaps, like Durrell, you'll find your best work flowing from the rhythmic partnership between mind and machine.
What about you? Do you have a typewriter tale to tell, or are you inspired to begin one? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
Lawrence Durrell’s novels include:
The Alexandria Quartet
Bitter Lemons
Prospero’s Cell
Pope Joan
The Black Book
His typewriter models:
Smith Corona Three
Smith Corona Four
Hermes Baby
Olivetti Lettera 22
Olympia Splendid
References:
Durrell’s use of the Smith Corona Three and Smith Corona Four during the creation of The Black Book is noted in literary circles discussing early 20th-century British writers and their choice of tools, particularly in the analysis of his early experimental style.
The Olivetti Lettera 22 and Olympia Splendid are often associated with Durrell based on interviews and anecdotes from peers and biographers who remarked on his attachment to portable, versatile machines during his travels across the Mediterranean.
