Basil Bunting (1900-1985) was an extraordinary if sometimes neglected poet. His late-flowering masterpiece 'Briggflatts' (1965) jettisoned him into the pantheon of 20th century greats and reminded his audience that the legacies of international modernism had not been entirely buried. Bunting showed that Anglo-American modernism was not incompatible with native traditions and 'Briggflatts' is a powerful evocation of Northumbria, the poet's cherished place of origin.