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Held at: University of Manchester, John Rylands University
Library of Manchester
Reference and contact details:
GB 0133 DSH
Title: dom silvester houédard Papers
Dates of Creation: c.1920s-1992
Extent: 3.41 cubic metres
Creator: houédard, pierre-silvester, 1924-1992, dom,
known as dsh
Level of Description: fonds
Language of Material: English
Published by: John Rylands University Library of Manchester
150 Deansgate,
Manchester
M3 3EH,
United Kingdom;
e-mail: spcoll72@fs1.li.man.ac.uk
dom silvester houédard (1924-1992), or dsh, as he is correctly known, was a Benedictine monk of Prinknash Abbey, Gloucestershire who made significant contributions in many fields, including theology and poetry.
dsh was born in Guernsey in 1924, and educated at Jesus College, Oxford, from 1942-1944 and 1947-1949, and at St Anselmo, Rome, 1951-1955. Between 1944-1947 he served in British Army intelligence. In 1949, he became a monk at Prinknash Abbey, Gloucestershire, and he entered the priesthood in 1959. He made major contributions to theology and, inspired by the Second Vatican Council, became a luminary in the ecumenical movement. dsh was particularly respected for his work with the Ibn 'Arabi Society and with Buddhist scholars. He was also renowned as a translator of religious texts, in 1962 he published his translation of the Office of Our Lady and he played a leading role in the Jerusalem Bible translation of 1961 in the capacity of literary editor for the New Testament and sub-editor for the Old Testament.
However dsh was best-known as as an outstanding exponent of 'concrete poetry' (visual poetry). He invented the 'typestract', a form of poem that took up the pattern making possibilities of the typewriter. His visual poetries were frequently exhibited both at home and abroad. His most famous celebrated poem was "Frog-pond-plop", a translation from the Japanese haiku of Matsuo Basho (1644-94), which he presented in the form of an opening poem following an origami unfolding principle. Although considered avant-garde , dsh considered he was also continuing long-standing poetic traditions of the Benedictine order. dsh corresponded widely with leading poets, artists, theologians and philosophers; his address book was said to have contained 3,000 names.
Throughout his life dsh amassed a substantial archive which reflects his wide interests. There is a vast series of in-letters, as well as three address books which confirm his legendary status as a letter-writer. There is also a large collection of artworks, including three-dimensional poems, poster poems, artists' books and magazines by dsh and John Furnival of the Openings Press, as well as material by other artists in the forefront of the Concrete Poetry Movement, such as Mary Ellen Solt, Augusto de Campos, Eugen Gomringer and Ian Hamilton Finlay.
There is considerable correspondence relating to mid-late 20th theology and the arts; correspondents include Robert Graves, Edwin Morgan, Allan Ginsberg, William Burroughs, Jack Kerouac, Mark Boyle, John Blofeld and Michael Horovitz and a large file of letters with Ian Hamilton Finlay, mostly concerning the theory of concrete poetry and a file of letters concerned with the theology of the Renaissance and Derek Jarman's film, Caravaggio.
The theological material includes annotated proofs and correspondence relating to the Old Testament translation of the New Jerusalem Bible; material relating to to the translation of the New Baptismal and Marriage Rites for Liturgical Commission; papers relating to ecumenism, the Interfaiths Symposium, and Beshera and Wisdom, publishers pertaining to Eastern religions.
The archive has wide significance for students of literature, particularly concrete poetry and the private presses, theology and biblical studies, philosophy, art history and cultural studies.
Deposited on permanent loan by the monks of Prinknash Abbey in 1993.
Accession list.
For further information about dsh's archive, see Stella K. Halkyard and C.B. McCully, `"Thoughts of Inventive Brains and the Rich Effusions of Deep Hearts": Some of the Twentieth-Century Literary Archives of the John Rylands University Library of Manchester, Bulletin of the John Rylands University Library of Manchester, vol. 77, no. 2 (1995), pp. 105-21.
The Archives Hub is a Mimas service, funded by JISC and based at The University of Manchester. Systems development work is undertaken at the University of Liverpool. © Copyright 2000-2010. Notices and disclaimers.