The Escaped Cock

First published in 1929, The Escaped Cock – or, as it was published against Lawrence’s will upon his death, The Man Who Died – is the final novel by one of the best-loved English writers of the twentieth century.

Written shortly after a 1927 expedition to an Etruscan tomb, on the surface this is a sensual and thought-provoking recasting of the Resurrection, in which Jesus survives his crucifixion – but when the surface is scratched there’s so much more going on beneath…

The intervening years have seen a revived interest in the identity and enigmatic sexuality of the man behind the pen, and this fresh edition, paired with the art of Aubrey Beardsley – a fellow misunderstood artist and enemy of the censor’s office – invites the modern reader to meet Lawrence’s fascinating final novel on its own terms.