{"id":464,"date":"2022-09-16T13:13:30","date_gmt":"2022-09-16T13:13:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/localhost\/SSLHG\/?page_id=464"},"modified":"2023-01-30T13:27:01","modified_gmt":"2023-01-30T13:27:01","slug":"james-kirkup-poet","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/southshieldslocalhistorygroup.co.uk\/index.php\/people\/famous-people\/james-kirkup-poet\/","title":{"rendered":"Kirkup, James (Poet)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

James Kirkup was born in Shields in 1918 and was one of the leading poets of the mid to late twentieth century.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Age 3 Robertson St<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Dorothy Fleet recorded James in about 1970 talking fondly about his childhood years spent in the town.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He went to Baring Street School, Westoe Boys School then Kings College at Durham University.  After the war he worked as a school teacher.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Age 18 Portrait<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

His first book of poems was called the Drowned Sailor and was published in 1947, he published 33 books of poetry, 7 plays and 5 travel books.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many of his poems recall his childhood days in South Shields.  Places include: Ferry, Groyne, King Street, Lifeboat, Market, Marine Park, Ocean Road, Old Town Hall, Pier, Town Hall, Trow Rocks and Westoe Village.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Shields Sketches<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
Child of the Tyne<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
Marsden Bay<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

After 1956 he mainly worked abroad lecturing in English in Sweden, Malaya and Japan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
1982 (South Tyneside Libraries, Unknown STH0008515)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

He spent 30 years in Japan lecturing in English at several universities where he is very highly regarded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
James in his garden in Japan<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature in 1962.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2005 he was celebrated with an exhibition of his works at the Central Library in South Shields.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
James at the library with Dorothy Fleet<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
Poems on the wall at the library<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Guardian called him “One of the genuine masters of verse in the middle to late twentieth century” (The Guardian)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

James Kirkup died in 2009 in Andorra and is buried at Kyoto in Japan. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
James’ grave 2019<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

His friends and poetry admirers come to pay their respects on the anniversary of his death.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Friends at his grave 2019<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Dorothy Fleet became Curator of the James Kirkup Collection.  The artefacts are held in South Shields Museum and the literature is held by South Tyneside Libraries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Overview – South Tyneside Council<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bibliography<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Poetry<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n