Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch (1863-1944), who often published under the pen-name of 'Q', was one of the giants of early twentieth-century literature and literary criticism. A novelist and poet who was also a Professor of English, he helped to form the literary tastes of generations of literary students and scholars who came after him. The freshness, enthusiasm and intellectual insight of his work is still evident in his writings nearly a century on. Cambridge University Press is delighted to reissue some of his key texts in this new edition. Quiller-Couch was born in Cornwall and educated at Newton Abbot College, Clifton College and Trinity College Oxford. These autobiographical writings, first published shortly after his death in 1944, describe his early years in Polperro and his educational experiences, ending with his choice of an academic career and the publication of his first novel.