In this work, Bennett draws upon an idea expounded by
Rosemary Dobson and
David Campbell who, in
Seven Russian Poets, published 'imitations', rather than 'translations' of the poems of seven Russian poets -
Osip Mandelstam, Anna Akhmatova, Marina Tsvetaeva, Olga Berggolts, Bella Akhmadulina, Natalia Gorbanevskaia, and Yunna Morits. Here, Bennett uses the poetry of
David Campbell, Dorothy Auchterlonie,
Zora Cross and
Christopher Brennan as her muse.