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{{Short description|English poet}}
'''Hugh Sykes Davies''' (1909{{spaced ndash}}1984) was an English poet, novelist and communist who was one of a small group of 1930s British ].
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox writer
⚫ | name = Hugh Sykes Davies
| honorific_suffix =
| image =
| imagesize =
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| birth_name =
| birth_date = {{birth date|1909|8|17|df=y}}
| birth_place = ], ], ]
| death_date = {{death date and age|1984|6|6|1909|8|17|df=y}}
| death_place = ], ]
| occupation = Poet, novelist and critic
| nationality = British
| pseudonym =
⚫ | alma_mater = ]
| spouse = ] (div.)
| subject =
| period =
| genre = Surrealism
| movement =
| notableworks =
| awards =
⚫ }}


'''Hugh Sykes Davies''' (17 August 1909 – 6 June 1984)<ref name="Eagle">. ''joh.cam.ac.uk''. Retrieved 11 October 2021.</ref> was an English poet, novelist and communist, who was one of a small group of 1930s British ].
Davies was born in ] to a Methodist minister and his wife. He went to ], ] and studied at Cambridge, where he co-edited a student magazine called ''Experiment'' with ]. He spent some time in Paris during the 1930s. He was to stand as a communist candidate in the 1940 general election, but the vote was cancelled because of World War II. He was one of the organisers of the ] in 1936.


== Biography==
⚫ He had a talent for friendship, and as well as Empson, he numbered ], ], ], ] and ] amongst his circle. At one stage he had ] declared his ward in an attempt to stop Lowry's drinking.
Davies was born in ], ] (then in ]), to a Methodist minister and his wife. He went to ], ], and read the Classics and English Triposes at ],<ref>'University News', ''Times'', 18 June 1931, p. 16.</ref> where he co-edited the student magazine ''Experiment'' with ]. Following graduation he was awarded both the Jebb Studentship and the Le Bas Essay Prize. In 1933 he was elected the first-ever fellow of English at St John's College, and three years later he was appointed a University Lecturer in the subject. While at Cambridge he was a member of the ].<ref name="obit">'Obituary: Mr Hugh Sykes Davies', ''Times'', 8 June 1984, p. 18.</ref>


Davies' poems were mostly published in ''avant garde'' magazines and were not collected during his lifetime. His novels include ''Full Fathom Five'' (1956) and ''The Papers of Andrew Melmoth'' (1960). He also wrote ''Petron'' (1935). Davies spent some time in Paris during the 1930s, and in 1936 he was one of the organisers of the ], where he met the artist ]. His poems were mostly published in ''avant garde'' magazines and were not collected during his lifetime; his best known was arguably ''Petron'' (1935). His novels include ''Full Fathom Five'' (1956) and ''The Papers of Andrew Melmoth'' (1960), while his works of literary scholarship include ''Realism in the Drama'' (his prize-winning entry for the Le Bas competition; 1933), ''Surrealism'' (1936), ''Macaulay's Marginalia to Lucretius'' (1937) and ''Grammar Without Tears'' (1951).


Politically Davies was of the left, and he intended to stand as the ] candidate for ] in the anticipated 1940 general election, but his prospective candidature was terminated when the party found out that he was also a member of the ]. During World War II he was employed at the ], which gave him an insight into administrative problems; perhaps consequently, he lost much of his youthful utopianism, and in the 1950s renounced his communist affiliation and reverted to a more orthodox social democracy in its stead.<ref name="Eagle"/><ref name="obit"/>
He appears in the Canadian National Film Board's feature-length documentary "Volcano: An Inquiry into the Life and Death of Malcolm Lowry" talking about Lowry and their friendship.


==Personal life==
⚫ He was a University Lecturer and Fellow of ].
⚫ Davies had a talent for friendship, and in addition to Empson and Dalí he numbered ], ], ] and ] amongst his circle. At one stage he had ] declared his ward in an attempt to stop Lowry's drinking. He appears in the ] feature-length documentary '']'' (1976), where he talks about Lowry and their friendship.

Davies died at St John's College in ] on 6 June 1984, after recovering several months earlier from a serious operation.<ref name="Eagle"/> He was married five times to four women, the first of whom was the poet ].<ref>], , ''Sewanee Review'', vol. 109, no. 4 (Fall 2001). Republished in ''Jacket'' magazine, no. 20 (December 2002). ''jacketmagazine.com''. Retrieved 11 October 2021.</ref>


==External links== ==External links==
* *


==References==
⚫ {{Authority control|VIAF=76345032}}
{{reflist}}

⚫ {{Authority control}}


{{Persondata <!-- Metadata: see ]. -->
⚫ | NAME = Davies, Hugh Sykes
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES = Affectionately known as "Mad Uncle Hugh"
| SHORT DESCRIPTION = British writer
| DATE OF BIRTH = 1909
| PLACE OF BIRTH =
| DATE OF DEATH = 1984
| PLACE OF DEATH =
⚫ }}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Davies, Hugh Sykes}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Davies, Hugh Sykes}}
] ]
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{{england-writer-stub}}

Latest revision as of 17:38, 17 January 2023

English poet

Hugh Sykes Davies
Born(1909-08-17)17 August 1909
Prescot, Merseyside, England
Died6 June 1984(1984-06-06) (aged 74)
Cambridge, England
OccupationPoet, novelist and critic
NationalityBritish
Alma materSt John's College, Cambridge
GenreSurrealism
SpouseKathleen Raine (div.)

Hugh Sykes Davies (17 August 1909 – 6 June 1984) was an English poet, novelist and communist, who was one of a small group of 1930s British surrealists.

Biography

Davies was born in Prescot, Merseyside (then in Lancashire), to a Methodist minister and his wife. He went to Kingswood School, Bath, and read the Classics and English Triposes at St John's College, Cambridge, where he co-edited the student magazine Experiment with William Empson. Following graduation he was awarded both the Jebb Studentship and the Le Bas Essay Prize. In 1933 he was elected the first-ever fellow of English at St John's College, and three years later he was appointed a University Lecturer in the subject. While at Cambridge he was a member of the Apostles.

Davies spent some time in Paris during the 1930s, and in 1936 he was one of the organisers of the London International Surrealist Exhibition, where he met the artist Salvador Dalí. His poems were mostly published in avant garde magazines and were not collected during his lifetime; his best known was arguably Petron (1935). His novels include Full Fathom Five (1956) and The Papers of Andrew Melmoth (1960), while his works of literary scholarship include Realism in the Drama (his prize-winning entry for the Le Bas competition; 1933), Surrealism (1936), Macaulay's Marginalia to Lucretius (1937) and Grammar Without Tears (1951).

Politically Davies was of the left, and he intended to stand as the Labour Party candidate for Isle of Ely in the anticipated 1940 general election, but his prospective candidature was terminated when the party found out that he was also a member of the Communist Party. During World War II he was employed at the Ministry of Food, which gave him an insight into administrative problems; perhaps consequently, he lost much of his youthful utopianism, and in the 1950s renounced his communist affiliation and reverted to a more orthodox social democracy in its stead.

Personal life

Davies had a talent for friendship, and in addition to Empson and Dalí he numbered T. S. Eliot, I. A. Richards, Anthony Blunt and Ludwig Wittgenstein amongst his circle. At one stage he had Malcolm Lowry declared his ward in an attempt to stop Lowry's drinking. He appears in the National Film Board of Canada's feature-length documentary Volcano: An Inquiry into the Life and Death of Malcolm Lowry (1976), where he talks about Lowry and their friendship.

Davies died at St John's College in Cambridge on 6 June 1984, after recovering several months earlier from a serious operation. He was married five times to four women, the first of whom was the poet Kathleen Raine.

External links

References

  1. ^ 'The Eagle', vol. LXX, no. 293 (Easter 1985), pp. 61-4. joh.cam.ac.uk. Retrieved 11 October 2021.
  2. 'University News', Times, 18 June 1931, p. 16.
  3. ^ 'Obituary: Mr Hugh Sykes Davies', Times, 8 June 1984, p. 18.
  4. George Watson, 'Remembering Prufrock: Hugh Sykes Davies, 1909–1984', Sewanee Review, vol. 109, no. 4 (Fall 2001). Republished in Jacket magazine, no. 20 (December 2002). jacketmagazine.com. Retrieved 11 October 2021.
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