Petrarch (1304-1374) is universally regarded as the forefather of Italian humanism, and his work was an immense source of inspiration to many early English poets.

By writing what he called a "e;secret book"e; - taking the shape of a conversation between himself and St Augustine - Petrarch aimed to compose a cathartic text which would alleviate his spiritual crisis and help him make further inroads towards knowledge and fulfilment.At once an intimate repository of his most personal thoughts and emotions and a literary masterpiece dealing with universal issues, Secretum - Petrarch's best-known work in Latin - is a fascinating and pioneering example of the autobiographical genre.