Christopher Isherwood began writing modernist novels before evolving into a pioneer of autofiction, which mingles fiction and autobiography. His novel Goodbye to Berlin inspired the hit musical Cabaret. Everything changed when Isherwood emigrated to America in 1939. He had become a pacifist and was studying to be a Hindu monk. Although Isherwood resumed his career as a writer, the novels he produced while living in the USA, including A Single Man, reflected his newfound spiritual interests and blazed a trail for the gay liberation movement.

In this new biography, Jake Poller takes a holistic approach to Isherwood, exploring his life and innovative autofiction and expertly unpacking Vedanta philosophy, tracing its influence in Isherwood’s work. This is a concise yet thorough account of a monumental figure.