Peter Hughes was born in Oxford in 1956. After attending local state schools he did stints at Cheltenham Art College, Anglia Polytechnic and Stirling University. He has worked as a teacher and translator, among other things, in the UK and in Italy. He lives in Norfolk. Francesco Petrarca (Petrarch) (1304-74) was an Italian scholar, best known today for his Canzoniere (Songbook) including 317 sonnets addressed to his muse, Laura. In this volume, Peter Hughes presents modern versions of all 317 sonnets.