The Poet And The Murderer

" A thrilling story, thrillingly told " (New York Daily New); " Utterly enthralling " ( Simon Winchester, author of The Professor and the Madman); " Masterful " ( Errol Morris); " a gripping tale, done with great style and elegance" ( William Styron, author of Sophie's Choice). These are just a few of the laurels garnered by Simon Worrall's true crime classic, The Poet & The Murderer. In this new, revised digital edition, containing new revelations not included in the print edition, acclaimed journalist and author, Simon Worrall, follows the trail of a forged Emily Dickinson poem that mysteriously turns up for sale at Sotheby's in New York. His journey of discovery leads him via the casinos of Las Vegas to Utah and the darkly compelling world of Mark Hofmann, one of the most daring literary forgers and remorseless murderers of all time. Deeply researched but with the narrative pace of a novel, Worrall's investigation into the life and crimes of this charismatic genius is a real-life detective story you simply won't be able to put down. As the story reaches its gripping climax, Hofmann becomes trapped in the web of his own deceptions .... and turns to murder.

Praise for Simon Worrall’s
THE POET AND THE MURDERER
A True Story of Literary Crime and the Art of Forgery


“ A gripping tale, done with great style and elegance …it held me in its spell from beginning to end “, William Styron, author of Sophie’s Choice.

“ An adventurous and sensational narrative “, Peter Ackroyd, The London Times.

“ A terrific story, terrifically told.” -New York Daily News

“ An astonishing tale! Enthralling! All this makes for an even more engrossing yarn than that told in " The Surgeon of Crowthorne" - Financial Times

“ All forgery involves a partnership between those willing to deceive and those susceptible to deception. But who would have thought that such a partnership would exist between Emily Dickinson scholars and the Mormon church on one hand, and a strange compulsive and murderous iconoclast, Mark Hofmann, on the other. The forgery of handwritten documents involves a double forgery: the forgery of the way words "look" and what they "mean." Hofmann was a master of both. Worrall has done a masterful job of telling this story from "both" sides. But he also reminds us that writing contains a deep and dark mystery, the mystery of authorship. “ - Errol Morris.

“ What a story! I found Simon Worrall’s wonderful book utterly enthralling. I read it at one sitting and learned all sorts of things from its multitudes of fascinations. To have crafted a book that manages to connect the poignant solitude of Emily Dickinson with the bizarre beliefs of the Mormon church, and by way of tales of bombings, bankruptcy and counterfeiting, is the mark of a truly superb talent.” -Simon Winchester, author of The Professor and the Madman

“ Simon Worrall's book is a cracking tale: the labyrinthine story he uncovers is beautifully paced and as complex as any conspiracy theory: a work of non-fiction, it reads like a thriller. “- The Guardian

“ Simon Worrall takes us on a wild ride through a variety of topics:Dickinson’s life, Mormonism, rare book dealing, famous literary forgeries, the biological mechanics of handwriting, self-hypnotism, the history of American printing and the near-criminal, sloppiness of auction-house authentications... fascinating.” -The Washington Post

“A spellbinding tale of genius irretrievably marred by greed and madness.”- The Star-Ledger (Newark)

“ …a terrific book, a compulsive page-turner, and real eye-opener.” - Providence Sunday Journal

“ A true crime standout.” - Booklist