Harry Guest
Encyclopedia
Harry Guest is a British
poet born in Wales. He was educated at Malvern College
and read Modern Languages at Trinity Hall
, University of Cambridge. He wrote a thesis on Mallarmé at the Sorbonne
. At Trinity Hall he co-edited the poetry magazine Chequer, which continued for eleven issues and published poems by Thom Gunn
, Anne Stevenson
, Ted Hughes
, and Sylvia Plath
. From 1955-66, he taught at Felsted School
and Lancing College
, and then moved to Japan, becoming a lecturer in English at Yokohama National University. He returned to England in 1972 and was Head of French at Exeter School
(a department which included another published poet, Lawrence Sail
) until his retirement in 1991. A selection of his poetry was included in Penguin Modern Poets
16. He is an Honorary Research Fellow at the University of Exeter
and was awarded an honorary doctorate (LittD) by Plymouth University in 1998. Apart from his many collections of poetry, he is well-known as a translator from the French and Japanese, and has published several novels and non-fiction books including the Traveller's Literary Companion to Japan (1994) and The Artist on the Artist (2000). His translations include a selected poems of Victor Hugo, The Distance, The Shadows (2002) and Post-War Japanese Poetry (with Lynn Guest and Kajima Shôzô, 1972). He lives in Exeter
, and is married to the historical novelist Lynn Guest, they have two children.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
poet born in Wales. He was educated at Malvern College
Malvern College
Malvern College is a coeducational independent school located on a 250 acre campus near the town centre of Malvern, Worcestershire in England. Founded on 25 January 1865, until 1992, the College was a secondary school for boys aged 13 to 18...
and read Modern Languages at Trinity Hall
Trinity Hall
Trinity Hall may refer to:* Trinity Hall, Cambridge, constituent college of the University of Cambridge* Trinity Hall, Dublin, hall of residence of the University of Dublin, Trinity College* Trinity Hall, Washington, Pennsylvania, Trinity High School...
, University of Cambridge. He wrote a thesis on Mallarmé at the Sorbonne
Sorbonne
The Sorbonne is an edifice of the Latin Quarter, in Paris, France, which has been the historical house of the former University of Paris...
. At Trinity Hall he co-edited the poetry magazine Chequer, which continued for eleven issues and published poems by Thom Gunn
Thom Gunn
Thom Gunn, born Thomson William Gunn , was an Anglo-American poet who was praised both for his early verses in England, where he was associated with The Movement and his later poetry in America, even after moving toward a looser, free-verse style...
, Anne Stevenson
Anne Stevenson
Anne Stevenson is an American-British poet and writer.-Life:Stevenson's parents Louise Destler Stevenson and C.L. Stevenson met at a Cincinnati High School. They were living in Cambridge, England, where Charles was studying philosophy under I. A. Richards and Wittgenstein, when their first...
, Ted Hughes
Ted Hughes
Edward James Hughes OM , more commonly known as Ted Hughes, was an English poet and children's writer. Critics routinely rank him as one of the best poets of his generation. Hughes was British Poet Laureate from 1984 until his death.Hughes was married to American poet Sylvia Plath, from 1956 until...
, and Sylvia Plath
Sylvia Plath
Sylvia Plath was an American poet, novelist and short story writer. Born in Massachusetts, she studied at Smith College and Newnham College, Cambridge before receiving acclaim as a professional poet and writer...
. From 1955-66, he taught at Felsted School
Felsted School
Felsted School, an English co-educational day and boarding independent school, situated in Felsted, Essex. It is in the British Public School tradition, and was founded in 1564 by Richard Rich, 1st Baron Rich who, as Lord Chancellor and Chancellor of the Court of Augmentations, acquired...
and Lancing College
Lancing College
Lancing College is a co-educational English independent school in the British public school tradition, founded in 1848 by Nathaniel Woodard. Woodard's aim was to provide education "based on sound principle and sound knowledge, firmly grounded in the Christian faith." Lancing was the first of a...
, and then moved to Japan, becoming a lecturer in English at Yokohama National University. He returned to England in 1972 and was Head of French at Exeter School
Exeter School
Exeter School is a selective independent co-educational day school for pupils between the ages of 7 and 18 located in Exeter, Devon, England. In 2010 there were around 180 pupils in the Junior School and 670 in the Senior School...
(a department which included another published poet, Lawrence Sail
Lawrence Sail
-Biography:Sail was born in London and brought up in Exeter. He studied French and German at Oxford University and subsequently taught for some years in Kenya, before returning to the UK, where he taught at Blundell's School and, later, Exeter School...
) until his retirement in 1991. A selection of his poetry was included in Penguin Modern Poets
Penguin Modern Poets
Penguin Modern Poets was a series of 27 poetry books published by Penguin Books in the 1960s and 1970s, each containing work by three contemporary poets . The series was begun in 1962 and published an average of two volumes per year throughout the 1960s...
16. He is an Honorary Research Fellow at the University of Exeter
University of Exeter
The University of Exeter is a public university in South West England. It belongs to the 1994 Group, an association of 19 of the United Kingdom's smaller research-intensive universities....
and was awarded an honorary doctorate (LittD) by Plymouth University in 1998. Apart from his many collections of poetry, he is well-known as a translator from the French and Japanese, and has published several novels and non-fiction books including the Traveller's Literary Companion to Japan (1994) and The Artist on the Artist (2000). His translations include a selected poems of Victor Hugo, The Distance, The Shadows (2002) and Post-War Japanese Poetry (with Lynn Guest and Kajima Shôzô, 1972). He lives in Exeter
Exeter
Exeter is a historic city in Devon, England. It lies within the ceremonial county of Devon, of which it is the county town as well as the home of Devon County Council. Currently the administrative area has the status of a non-metropolitan district, and is therefore under the administration of the...
, and is married to the historical novelist Lynn Guest, they have two children.
Works
- A Different Darkness, London: Outposts, 1964
- Arrangements, Northwood, UK: Anvil, 1968
- The Cutting-Room, London: Anvil, 1970
- Mountain Journal, Sheffield, UK: Rivelin, 1975
- A House Against the Night, London: Anvil, 1976
- English Poems, London: Words, 1976
- Days, London: Anvil, 1978
- Elegies, Durham, UK: Pig, 1980
- Lost and Found, London: Anvil, 1983
- The Emperor of Outer Space, Durham, UK: Pig, 1983
- Lost Pictures, Exeter, UK: Albertine, 1991
- Coming to Terms, London: Anvil, 1994
- So Far, Exeter, UK: Stride, 1998
- Versions, Nether Stowey, UK: Odyssey, 1999
- A Puzzling Harvest, Collected Poems 1955-2000, London: Anvil, 2002
- Time After Time, Exeter, UK: Albertine, 2005
- Comparisons & Conversions, ISBN 978184610194 Exeter, UK: Shearsman, 2009
- Some Times, London: Anvil, 2010