The Bird of Night

Susan Hill's 1972 novel examines the relationship between Bipolar Affective Disorder and creativity; the illness that both creates genius and destroys it. The text, which contains homoerotic overtones, is narrated by Harvey from first person perspective, giving an insight into the pressure on his abilities to care for and keep safe Francis, who is seen as the greatest poet of his era but is extremely unwell with a madness that is directly linked to his creativity. Francis' illness is both the driving force for his brilliance and the key element to his downfall. The novel is a brilliant exploration of madness, almost completely removed from the medical system, in which madness is seen concomitantly pathological and a necessary part of the creative process.