R. F. Langley
Encyclopedia
Roger Francis Langley was an English poet and diarist. During his life, he was loosely affiliated with the Cambridge poetry scene.
in 1938. He was educated in Walsall
, and then at Jesus College, Cambridge
, and went on to teach Art History
and English Literature
in secondary schools including Wolverhampton Grammar School
and, later, Bishop Vesey's Grammar School
in Sutton Coldfield
. Publishing most of his work during the final decade of his life, Roger Langley first disseminated his poetry through small presses, periodicals, and anthologies, including The Harvill Book of Twentieth-Century Poetry in English (1999). He published two collections of poetry with Carcanet Press
during his lifetime: Collected Poems (2000) and The Face of It (2007).
His first Carcanet collection was nominated for a Whitbread Book Award
. Throughout his life, Langley maintained a journal, extracts from which were a regular feature in the poetry journal PN Review
, and which were published in book form by Shearsman Press in 2006.
Although he lived in South Staffordshire
most of his life, in the villages of Stonnall
and Shenstone
, the inspiration for much of Langley's work came from the landscapes of Suffolk
, where he resided during the closing years of his life. His range of reference was, however, extremely broad, and was informed by close acquaintance with the art criticism of Adrian Stokes
and the work of psychoanalyst Melanie Klein
.
Langley was posthumously awarded the 2011 Forward Prize for Best Single Poem, for "To a Nightingale", described by the judges as 'a masterclass in precision'.
Life and work
Langley was born in Rugby, WarwickshireRugby, Warwickshire
Rugby is a market town in Warwickshire, England, located on the River Avon. The town has a population of 61,988 making it the second largest town in the county...
in 1938. He was educated in Walsall
Walsall
Walsall is a large industrial town in the West Midlands of England. It is located northwest of Birmingham and east of Wolverhampton. Historically a part of Staffordshire, Walsall is a component area of the West Midlands conurbation and part of the Black Country.Walsall is the administrative...
, and then at Jesus College, Cambridge
Jesus College, Cambridge
Jesus College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England.The College was founded in 1496 on the site of a Benedictine nunnery by John Alcock, then Bishop of Ely...
, and went on to teach Art History
Art history
Art history has historically been understood as the academic study of objects of art in their historical development and stylistic contexts, i.e. genre, design, format, and style...
and English Literature
English literature
English literature is the literature written in the English language, including literature composed in English by writers not necessarily from England; for example, Robert Burns was Scottish, James Joyce was Irish, Joseph Conrad was Polish, Dylan Thomas was Welsh, Edgar Allan Poe was American, J....
in secondary schools including Wolverhampton Grammar School
Wolverhampton Grammar School
Wolverhampton Grammar School is a co-educational independent school located in the city of Wolverhampton.Initially Wolverhampton Boys Grammar School, it was founded in 1512 by Sir Stephen Jenyns, a master of the ancient guild of Merchant Taylors, who was also Lord Mayor of London in the year of...
and, later, Bishop Vesey's Grammar School
Bishop Vesey's Grammar School
Bishop Vesey's Grammar School is a selective state grammar school in Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham. Founded in 1527, it is one of the oldest schools in the United Kingdom. The school was a day and boarding school until the 1880s, and retained a small number of boarders in the mid-20th century...
in Sutton Coldfield
Sutton Coldfield
Sutton Coldfield is a suburb of Birmingham, in the West Midlands of England. Sutton is located about from central Birmingham but has borders with Erdington and Kingstanding. Sutton is in the northeast of Birmingham, with a population of 105,000 recorded in the 2001 census...
. Publishing most of his work during the final decade of his life, Roger Langley first disseminated his poetry through small presses, periodicals, and anthologies, including The Harvill Book of Twentieth-Century Poetry in English (1999). He published two collections of poetry with Carcanet Press
Carcanet Press
Carcanet Press is a publisher, primarily of poetry, based in the United Kingdom and founded in 1969 by Michael Schmidt.Carcanet Press is now in its fourth decade. In 2000 it was named the Sunday Times millennium Small Publisher of the Year...
during his lifetime: Collected Poems (2000) and The Face of It (2007).
His first Carcanet collection was nominated for a Whitbread Book Award
Costa Book Awards
The Costa Book Awards are a series of literary awards given to books by authors based in Great Britain and Ireland. They were known as the Whitbread Book Awards until 2005, after which Costa Coffee, a subsidiary of Whitbread, took over sponsorship....
. Throughout his life, Langley maintained a journal, extracts from which were a regular feature in the poetry journal PN Review
P. N. Review
Launched as Poetry Nation, a twice-yearly hardback, in 1973, PN Review - now an A4 paperback - began quarterly publication in 1976 and has appeared six times a year since 1981...
, and which were published in book form by Shearsman Press in 2006.
Although he lived in South Staffordshire
South Staffordshire
South Staffordshire is a local government district in Staffordshire, England. The district lies to the north and west of Wolverhampton and the West Midlands, bordering Shropshire to the west and Worcestershire to the south...
most of his life, in the villages of Stonnall
Stonnall
Stonnall is a village in Staffordshire, England, close to Shenstone and Aldridge. It is divided into Upper Stonnall and Lower Stonnall, Upper Stonnall being the bulk of the modern village, and Lower Stonnall the more rural farms and cottages to the east of Wallheath Lane...
and Shenstone
Shenstone
Shenstone may refer to:* Shenstone, Staffordshire, a village in the UK* Shenstone, WorcestershirePeople with the surname Shenstone:* William Shenstone * Beveley Shenstone, Aerodynamicist who designed the Spitfire wing...
, the inspiration for much of Langley's work came from the landscapes of Suffolk
Suffolk
Suffolk is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in East Anglia, England. It has borders with Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south. The North Sea lies to the east...
, where he resided during the closing years of his life. His range of reference was, however, extremely broad, and was informed by close acquaintance with the art criticism of Adrian Stokes
Adrian Stokes (critic)
Adrian Stokes was a British writer and painter, known principally as an influential art critic. He was also a published poet.- Background :...
and the work of psychoanalyst Melanie Klein
Melanie Klein
Melanie Reizes Klein was an Austrian-born British psychoanalyst who devised novel therapeutic techniques for children that had an impact on child psychology and contemporary psychoanalysis...
.
Langley was posthumously awarded the 2011 Forward Prize for Best Single Poem, for "To a Nightingale", described by the judges as 'a masterclass in precision'.
Books
- Hem (Infernal Methods, 1978)
- Sidelong (Infernal Methods, 1981)
- Man Jack (Poetical Histories No. 30, 1993)
- Twelve Poems (Infernal Methods, 1994)
- Jack (Equipage, 1998)
- Poems (Carcanet PressCarcanet PressCarcanet Press is a publisher, primarily of poetry, based in the United Kingdom and founded in 1969 by Michael Schmidt.Carcanet Press is now in its fourth decade. In 2000 it was named the Sunday Times millennium Small Publisher of the Year...
, 2000) - More or Less (Many Press, 2002)
- Twine (Landfill, 2004)
- Journals (Shearsman, 2006)
- Face of It (Carcanet PressCarcanet PressCarcanet Press is a publisher, primarily of poetry, based in the United Kingdom and founded in 1969 by Michael Schmidt.Carcanet Press is now in its fourth decade. In 2000 it was named the Sunday Times millennium Small Publisher of the Year...
, 2007)
External links
- Profile at Carcanet Press
- Profile and poems written and audio at the Poetry Archive
- R. F. Langley interviewed
- A review of Collected Poems at www.pnreview.co.uk
- Guardian Obituary: "Poet and diarist R.F. Langley dies", January 26, 2011
- Profile at Shearman Books
- Guardian Obituary by Peter Riley, March 7, 2011