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| November 19th | William Sydney Graham (Birth) |
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The Greenock – born William Sydney Graham (1918 – 1986) poet was associated with the neo-romantics, Dylan Thomas and George Barker who he knew from his Soho days. He became noted due to promotion by his close friends, including Harold Pinter who wrote that ‘I've said about W.S. Graham's poetry: 'His song is unique and his work is an inspiration.' The same applies to this brilliant collection of letters. The subject is poetry. W.S. Graham drank and ate poetry every day of his life. These letters show an intelligence and sensibility ravished by language and conundrum of language. An explorer whose journey never ends.’ Having studied structural engineering in Glasgow and literature for one year, Graham spent the war working in Scotland, Ireland in London. His first book, ‘Cage Without Grievance’ was published in 1942 and he moved to Cornwall in 1944, creating another four volumes in the 1940s including, notably, in 1948, ‘The Voyages of Alfred Wallis’ (August 29th) and ‘The White Threshold’ (1949) which was published by T.S. Eliot, editor of Faber & Faber. Also close friends with Roger Hilton (April 30th), Bryan Wynter (September 8th) he published a poem dedicated to him on Wynter’s death (below) and contributed articles to the ‘Cornish Magazine’ created by Denys Val Baker (October 24th). For many years, Graham lived in Madron in straitened circumstances with his poet wife, Nessie Dunsmuir (September 13th), and died there in 1986. His Madron home is now marked with a commemorative blue plaque . Dear Bryan Wynter
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