Today on My Poetic Side we bring you the sad news that the British literary scene has lost two well respected names, Tony Harrison, and Brian Patten.
Dramatist and Poet, Tony Harrison Dies Aged 88
The award-winning poet and dramatist who fuelled national conversation with his writing which talked about politics, class and obscenity has died aged 88.
Since the publishing of his first collection in 1964, Tony Harrison had been a major voice in British poetry. He was responsible for writing front-page dispatches for the Guardian newspaper on the topic of the war in Bosnia. His 1985 poem V scandalised the nation and was written following the desecration of his parents gravestones by football hooligans. The poem, which was laden with expletives, is now studied in schools.
Growing up in a working-class family living in Leeds, Harrison won a scholarship to attend Leeds grammar school before going to University of Leeds to study classics.Although he began to study for his PhD, he never completed this, and was awarded an honorary doctorate in 2004. In 1962 he formed a friendship with Wole Soyinka, a fellow Leeds graduate and moved to Nigeria. Whilst he was there, he Akin Mata a play, and his first pamphlet of poetry. He returned to England in 1967 and his first collection of poetry won the Geoffrey Faber memorial prize a few years later.
Whilst he also wrote adaptations of plays like The Misanthrope by Molière and original productions of his own,he preferred to be referred to simply as a poet. He also rejected a number of accolades during his career saying that honours were “the nature of British life. It’s horrible.” In 1999 he was named as a potential contender for the poet laureateship which resulted in his poem Laureate’s Block which made his feelings on the matter very clear.
Liverpool Poet Brian Patten Dies Aged 79
Brian Patten, often described by fellow poets as a “force of nature” has died peacefully in hospital.
Born in Liverpool in 1946, Patten was a part of The Mersey Sounds which came to prominence in 1967 and is thought to have been one of the all-time best selling poetry anthologies. The book was written by Pattern, Roger McGough, and Adrian Henri. Both Patten and McGough were awarded honorary doctorates from University of Liverpool in 2006 for their contributions to culture and the arts.
Patten left school at 15 and began working at the Bootle Times as a junior reporter. At 18 he left the job and moved to Paris to embrace a more Bohemian lifestyle which he funded by writing poetry on the pavements in coloured chalk for passers-by.
In 1967 he published his first solo collection of poetry, he was just 21, a number of other collections followed this. He is particularly known for his musings on the subject of love.
In 2001 Patten, McGough and Henri were all honoured with the Freedom of the City of Liverpool.
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