Andrew Taylor (poet)
Encyclopedia
Andrew McDonald Taylor (born 19 March 1940) is an Australian poet and academic. Although he lacks the public profile of several of his contemporaries, he has since come to be regarded as a major figure in Australian poetry, with a body of work notable for its intelligence and its formal, emotional and geographical diversity.
in 1940. Educated at the University of Melbourne
, Taylor moved to Adelaide
in 1970 where he taught at the English Department at the University of Adelaide
, mainly in American Literature
, and in 1975 co-founded the ongoing poetry reading group Friendly Street Poets
. In 1992 he became Foundation Professor of English at Edith Cowan University
in Perth, Western Australia
. He has been a member of the South Australian Arts Grants Advisory Committee, the Australian Society of Authors Management Committee and acting chairperson of the Literature Board of the Australia Council. In addition, he has been Chairperson of Writers' Week at the Adelaide Festival of the Arts, and was one of the founders of Adelaide's Friendly Street poetry readings, and the architect of the South Australian Writers' Centre, the first and prototype of many subsequent Writers' Centres throughout Australia.
Taylor was the regional winner of the British Airways Commonwealth Poetry Prize for his 1986 book, Travelling. His 1995 book of poetry, Sandstone, won the Western Australian Premier's Book Awards
for poetry for that year, and Götterdämerung Café. was shortlisted in 2002. In 2005, Salt Publishing
published Andrew Taylor's Collected Poems, bringing together his entire body of poetry, including new poems written between 2000 and 2003. A further collection, "The unhaunting", appeared from the same publisher in 2009.
He taught for many years at the University of Adelaide
, was recently made an Emeritus Professor at Edith Cowan University
, and is a Member of the Order of Australia. From 2006 until 2009 he was the poetry editor for the Australian literary journal Westerly
. He has been a frequent visitor to Cornell University
and Churchill College Cambridge, and has also taught at the University of Tübingen in Germany and at the University of Shanghai for Science and Technology
.
Although the bulk of Taylor's poems are relatively short lyrics or meditations, he has also been drawn to longer sequences, as in 'Travelling to Gleis-Binario' in the collection Travelling and 'Sandstone' in the collection of that name. The Crystal Absences, the Trout and Rome are in fact each single book-length poems, and Parabolas is a collection of prose poems that broke new ground in Australia when first published. His critical study, Reading Australian Poetry was the first of its kind in Australia for more than twenty years, and he continues to publish extensively on Australian poetry and fiction.
Biography
He was born in Warrnambool, VictoriaVictoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
in 1940. Educated at the University of Melbourne
University of Melbourne
The University of Melbourne is a public university located in Melbourne, Victoria. Founded in 1853, it is the second oldest university in Australia and the oldest in Victoria...
, Taylor moved to Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
in 1970 where he taught at the English Department at the University of Adelaide
University of Adelaide
The University of Adelaide is a public university located in Adelaide, South Australia. Established in 1874, it is the third oldest university in Australia...
, mainly in American Literature
American literature
American literature is the written or literary work produced in the area of the United States and its preceding colonies. For more specific discussions of poetry and theater, see Poetry of the United States and Theater in the United States. During its early history, America was a series of British...
, and in 1975 co-founded the ongoing poetry reading group Friendly Street Poets
Friendly Street Poets
Friendly Street Poets is a poetry reading group and publisher in Adelaide, South Australia. It has some claim to be "Australia's longest running community open-poetry reading venue."...
. In 1992 he became Foundation Professor of English at Edith Cowan University
Edith Cowan University
Edith Cowan University is located in Perth, Western Australia. It was named after the first woman to be elected to an Australian Parliament, Edith Cowan, and is the only Australian university named after a woman....
in Perth, Western Australia
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
. He has been a member of the South Australian Arts Grants Advisory Committee, the Australian Society of Authors Management Committee and acting chairperson of the Literature Board of the Australia Council. In addition, he has been Chairperson of Writers' Week at the Adelaide Festival of the Arts, and was one of the founders of Adelaide's Friendly Street poetry readings, and the architect of the South Australian Writers' Centre, the first and prototype of many subsequent Writers' Centres throughout Australia.
Taylor was the regional winner of the British Airways Commonwealth Poetry Prize for his 1986 book, Travelling. His 1995 book of poetry, Sandstone, won the Western Australian Premier's Book Awards
Western Australian Premier's Book Awards
The Western Australian Premier's Book Awards is an award for books, scripts, digital narrative and a People's Choice. Awards are provided by the Government of Western Australia, and the awards process is managed by the State Library of Western Australia...
for poetry for that year, and Götterdämerung Café. was shortlisted in 2002. In 2005, Salt Publishing
Salt Publishing
Salt Publishing is an independent publisher whose origins date back to 1990 when poet John Kinsella launched Salt Magazine in Western Australia. The journal rapidly developed an international reputation as a leading publisher of new poetry and poetics...
published Andrew Taylor's Collected Poems, bringing together his entire body of poetry, including new poems written between 2000 and 2003. A further collection, "The unhaunting", appeared from the same publisher in 2009.
He taught for many years at the University of Adelaide
University of Adelaide
The University of Adelaide is a public university located in Adelaide, South Australia. Established in 1874, it is the third oldest university in Australia...
, was recently made an Emeritus Professor at Edith Cowan University
Edith Cowan University
Edith Cowan University is located in Perth, Western Australia. It was named after the first woman to be elected to an Australian Parliament, Edith Cowan, and is the only Australian university named after a woman....
, and is a Member of the Order of Australia. From 2006 until 2009 he was the poetry editor for the Australian literary journal Westerly
Westerly
Westerly can refer to:* Westerly, Rhode Island, a town in the United States* The Westerlies, the prevailing winds in the middle latitudes* Westerly , a literary magazine from the University of Western Australia...
. He has been a frequent visitor to Cornell University
Cornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
and Churchill College Cambridge, and has also taught at the University of Tübingen in Germany and at the University of Shanghai for Science and Technology
University of Shanghai for Science and Technology
University of Shanghai for Science and Technology founded in 1906, is a public university in Shanghai, People's Republic of China...
.
Although the bulk of Taylor's poems are relatively short lyrics or meditations, he has also been drawn to longer sequences, as in 'Travelling to Gleis-Binario' in the collection Travelling and 'Sandstone' in the collection of that name. The Crystal Absences, the Trout and Rome are in fact each single book-length poems, and Parabolas is a collection of prose poems that broke new ground in Australia when first published. His critical study, Reading Australian Poetry was the first of its kind in Australia for more than twenty years, and he continues to publish extensively on Australian poetry and fiction.
Works
- The Cool Change (1971)
- Ice Fishing (1973)
- The Invention of Fire (1976)
- The Cat's Chin and Ears (1976)
- Parabolas: Prose Poems (1976)
- The Crystal Absences, the Trout (1976)
- Number Two Friendly Street (co-editor with Ian Reid) (1978)
- Selected Poems (1960-1980) (1982)
- Travelling (1986)
- Reading Australian Poetry (1987) (criticism)
- Folds in the Map (1991)
- Sandstone (1995)
- Götterdämerung Café (2001)
- Collected Poems (2004)
- Rome (2005)
- Regret about the Wolves and other poems (2006)
- The Unhaunting (2009)