Family correspondence of Vernon Watkins

Thirteen letters, 1957-1967 from Vernon Watkins to his wife, his mother and his sister, reflecting the poet's family and public life (ff. 1-25). Also included are 30 letters of the same nature, 1938-1967, addressed to Vernon Watkins from various correspondents, including poet Charles Causley, 1962-1967 (ff. 26-32), lifelong friend Eric V. Falk, [1938]-1963 (ff. 35-47), and wife, Gwen, 1945-1947 (ff. 59-66). The correspondence includes a photograph of Vernon, Gwen and Rhiannon Watkins, [1945] (f. 65).
The file also includes 34 letters and cards, 1965 and 1967-2004, addressed to Gwen Watkins from various correspondents, including Roy Fuller, 1976 (f. 74), Michael Hamburger, 1972-2004 (ff. 75-78), John Heath-Stubbs, 1998 (f. 79), Andrew Motion, 1987 (f. 81), Leslie Norris, 1974-1980 (ff. 82-86), Peter Redgrove, 1977 (f. 88), and David Wright, 1971-1988 (ff. 101-106). Most of these letters relate to Vernon Watkins's poetry.

Vernon Watkins (1906-1967), poet, was the second of three children of William and Sarah Watkins. He was born in Maesteg, Glamorgan, on 27 June 1906 but grew up in Swansea, Glamorgan, and on the Gower. He attended Repton School, Derbyshire, 1920-1924, then (for one year) studied modern languages at Magdalene College, Cambridge. He was briefly a clerk at Lloyds Bank in Cardiff but after a breakdown he returned home to Swansea and moved to the Lloyds Bank branch in St Helens. He served with RAF Police and Intelligence, 1941-1946, but otherwise remained with Lloyds for the remainder of his working life. In 1941 he published his first collection of poems, Ballad of the Mari Lwyd (London, 1941), followed by The Lamp and the Veil (London, 1945), Selected Poems (Norfolk, Conn., 1948), The Lady with the Unicorn (London, 1948), The Death Bell (London, 1954), Cypress and Acacia (London, 1959), Affinities (London, 1962), and Fidelities (London, 1968) which appeared posthumously. As a poet he was scrupulous, working through numerous drafts to reach a final version and often undertaking further revision after publication. In addition to original poetry he translated European verse into English, including Heine's The North Sea (London, 1955), and wrote essays on other poets. He corresponded widely with literary figures and became friends with the likes of W. B. Yeats, T. S. Eliot, Philip Larkin and, in particular, Dylan Thomas. In 1944 he married Gwendoline (Gwen) Mary Davies (b. 1923), a colleague at RAF Intelligence, and they had five children. Following his retirement in 1966 he lectured at the University College of Swansea. He was then appointed Visiting Professor of Poetry at the University of Washington but died on 8 October 1967, shortly after arriving in Seattle to take up his post. Some of his previously unpublished and uncollected works appeared in Uncollected Poems (London, 1969), Selected Verse Translations, ed. by Ruth Pryor (London, 1977), The Breaking of the Wave (Ipswich, 1979), and Ballad of the Outer Dark, ed. by Ruth Pryor (London, 1979).

Arranged in NLW as letters from Vernon Watkins (ff. 1-25), letters to Vernon Watkins (ff. 26-67), and letters to Gwen Watkins (ff. 71-106). Thereafter arranged alphabetically by correspondent, and then chronologically.

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Dylans Bookstore; Swansea; Purchase; March 2008; 004494261.

Vernon Watkins (1906-1967), poet, was the second of three children of William and Sarah Watkins. He was born in Maesteg, Glamorgan, on 27 June 1906 but grew up in Swansea, Glamorgan, and on the Gower. He attended Repton School, Derbyshire, 1920-1924, then (for one year) studied modern languages at Magdalene College, Cambridge. He was briefly a clerk at Lloyds Bank in Cardiff but after a breakdown he returned home to Swansea and moved to the Lloyds Bank branch in St Helens. He served with RAF Police and Intelligence, 1941-1946, but otherwise remained with Lloyds for the remainder of his working life. In 1941 he published his first collection of poems, Ballad of the Mari Lwyd (London, 1941), followed by The Lamp and the Veil (London, 1945), Selected Poems (Norfolk, Conn., 1948), The Lady with the Unicorn (London, 1948), The Death Bell (London, 1954), Cypress and Acacia (London, 1959), Affinities (London, 1962), and Fidelities (London, 1968) which appeared posthumously. As a poet he was scrupulous, working through numerous drafts to reach a final version and often undertaking further revision after publication. In addition to original poetry he translated European verse into English, including Heine's The North Sea (London, 1955), and wrote essays on other poets. He corresponded widely with literary figures and became friends with the likes of W. B. Yeats, T. S. Eliot, Philip Larkin and, in particular, Dylan Thomas. In 1944 he married Gwendoline (Gwen) Mary Davies (b. 1923), a colleague at RAF Intelligence, and they had five children. Following his retirement in 1966 he lectured at the University College of Swansea. He was then appointed Visiting Professor of Poetry at the University of Washington but died on 8 October 1967, shortly after arriving in Seattle to take up his post. Some of his previously unpublished and uncollected works appeared in Uncollected Poems (London, 1969), Selected Verse Translations, ed. by Ruth Pryor (London, 1977), The Breaking of the Wave (Ipswich, 1979), and Ballad of the Outer Dark, ed. by Ruth Pryor (London, 1979).

Title based on contents.

Preferred citation: NLW MS 23979D.

September 2008.

Description compiled by Maredudd ap Huw;

Usual copyright laws apply.

Typescripts of Vernon Watkins's poems, purchased with this collection of letters, are now NLW ex 2551. Other correspondence of Vernon Watkins and his family is now NLW MSS 21694D, 22485-8E, 22553E, 22728C, 22841E, 23185D. For his letters to Eric V. Falk, see NLW MS 23136D.

Published

Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru = The National Library of Wales