[ilds] Durrell's Languages

[James Gifford]

> But was he in fact able to speak all of these 
> languages?  How did he learn them?

I just found this in the memoirs of Theodore Stephanides, which are held 
in tss. (holograph corrections) at the University of Victoria in the 
James A Brigham fonds, and which are being published by the Durrell 
School of Corfu some time toward August this summer.  Stephanides, 
recalling Durrell and Nancy moving to Kalami on Corfu writes,

"At first my services as interpreter were rather in demand, but it was 
amazing how soon Lawrence and Nancy picked up Greek.  On subsequent 
visits I discovered that they understood the local brand of patois 
better than I did myself!"

That's just a short note, but this would have been in a rather short 
time period based on Stephanides' recollections.

Best,
James