Charles Brasch
Encyclopedia
Charles Orwell Brasch was a New Zealand
poet, literary editor and arts patron. He was the founding editor of the literary journal Landfall
.
Brasch was born in Dunedin
, the son of lawyer Hyam Brasch (who later changed his name to Henry Brash) and Helene Fels, a member of the prominent Hallenstein
family of merchants. He began writing poetry at Waitaki Boys' High School
and entered St John's College, Oxford
, in 1927 where he gained an 'ignominious third' in Modern History (to his father's disappointment). His contemporaries at Oxford included W. H. Auden
and Cecil Day-Lewis
.
Brasch spent some time working in and studying the field of archaeology
before returning to Dunedin in 1931. With private means, he travelled widely in Europe, Asia and the Americas during the 1930s. He spent the Second World War in Britain as a firewatcher and intelligence officer
having been exempted from active service on medical grounds.
In later life he was a substantial patron of arts and letters, and was involved in the establishment of the Robert Burns Fellowship
at the University of Otago
. He was also a patron and contributor to the Otago Museum
; in this he followed in the footsteps of his grandfather, Willi Fels.
He died of cancer in 1973.
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
poet, literary editor and arts patron. He was the founding editor of the literary journal Landfall
Landfall (journal)
Landfall is New Zealand's oldest extant literary journal. First published in 1947 by Caxton Press, under the editorship of Charles Brasch, it features new fiction and poetry, biographical and critical essays, cultural commentary, and reviews of books, art, film, drama and dance.Additionally, the...
.
Brasch was born in Dunedin
Dunedin
Dunedin is the second-largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the principal city of the Otago Region. It is considered to be one of the four main urban centres of New Zealand for historic, cultural, and geographic reasons. Dunedin was the largest city by territorial land area until...
, the son of lawyer Hyam Brasch (who later changed his name to Henry Brash) and Helene Fels, a member of the prominent Hallenstein
Bendix Hallenstein
Bendix Hallenstein was a merchant, statesman, and manufacturer from Dunedin, New Zealand. He was born in Brunswick, Germany. A clothing retailer, Hallensteins, still bears his name. He also founded the D.I.C...
family of merchants. He began writing poetry at Waitaki Boys' High School
Waitaki Boys' High School
Waitaki Boys' High School is a secondary school for boys located in the northern part of the town of Oamaru, Otago, New Zealand, with day and boarding facilities, and was founded in 1883. It currently has a school roll of just over 530....
and entered St John's College, Oxford
St John's College, Oxford
__FORCETOC__St John's College is a constituent college of the University of Oxford, one of the larger Oxford colleges with approximately 390 undergraduates, 200 postgraduates and over 100 academic staff. It was founded by Sir Thomas White, a merchant, in 1555, whose heart is buried in the chapel of...
, in 1927 where he gained an 'ignominious third' in Modern History (to his father's disappointment). His contemporaries at Oxford included W. H. Auden
W. H. Auden
Wystan Hugh Auden , who published as W. H. Auden, was an Anglo-American poet,The first definition of "Anglo-American" in the OED is: "Of, belonging to, or involving both England and America." See also the definition "English in origin or birth, American by settlement or citizenship" in See also...
and Cecil Day-Lewis
Cecil Day-Lewis
Cecil Day-Lewis CBE was an Irish poet and the Poet Laureate from 1968 until his death in 1972. He also wrote mystery stories under the pseudonym of Nicholas Blake...
.
Brasch spent some time working in and studying the field of archaeology
Archaeology
Archaeology, or archeology , is the study of human society, primarily through the recovery and analysis of the material culture and environmental data that they have left behind, which includes artifacts, architecture, biofacts and cultural landscapes...
before returning to Dunedin in 1931. With private means, he travelled widely in Europe, Asia and the Americas during the 1930s. He spent the Second World War in Britain as a firewatcher and intelligence officer
Espionage
Espionage or spying involves an individual obtaining information that is considered secret or confidential without the permission of the holder of the information. Espionage is inherently clandestine, lest the legitimate holder of the information change plans or take other countermeasures once it...
having been exempted from active service on medical grounds.
Landfall
Brasch returned to New Zealand in 1946, settling in Dunedin. He had held the ambition of publishing 'a substantial literary journal' in New Zealand for at least 15 years, and in 1947 he founded Landfall, remaining its editor for the next 20 years.In later life he was a substantial patron of arts and letters, and was involved in the establishment of the Robert Burns Fellowship
Robert Burns Fellowship
The Robert Burns Fellowship, established in 1958 as a bicentennial celebration, is claimed to be New Zealand's premier literary residency. The list of past fellows includes many of New Zealand's most notable writers....
at the University of Otago
University of Otago
The University of Otago in Dunedin is New Zealand's oldest university with over 22,000 students enrolled during 2010.The university has New Zealand's highest average research quality and in New Zealand is second only to the University of Auckland in the number of A rated academic researchers it...
. He was also a patron and contributor to the Otago Museum
Otago museum
The Otago Museum is situated in Dunedin, New Zealand. It was founded in 1868 and has a collection of over two million artefacts and specimens from the fields of natural history and ethnography...
; in this he followed in the footsteps of his grandfather, Willi Fels.
He died of cancer in 1973.
Poetry
Books and one broadsheet:- 1939: The Land and the People, and Other Poems, Christchurch: Caxton Press, New Zealand
- Charles Brash in Egypt,(SteeleRoberts Ltd, 2007)
Other
- 19461946 in literatureThe year 1946 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*November 7 - Walker Percy marries Mary Bernice Townsend.*Launch in the United Kingdom of Penguin Classics under the editorship of E. V...
: The Quest: Words for a Mime Play, London: The Compass Players - 1966: Present Company: Reflections on the Arts, Auckland: Blackwood and Janet Paul for the Auckland Gallery Associates
- 19731973 in literatureThe year 1973 in literature involved several significant events and the writing of many notable books.-Events:*September 25 - The funeral of Chilean poet Pablo Neruda becomes a focus for protests against the new government of Augusto Pinochet...
: Such Separate Creatures: Stories, Christchurch: Caxton Press - 19731973 in literatureThe year 1973 in literature involved several significant events and the writing of many notable books.-Events:*September 25 - The funeral of Chilean poet Pablo Neruda becomes a focus for protests against the new government of Augusto Pinochet...
: Hallensteins: the First Century, 1873-1973, Dunedin : Hallenstein Bros., 1973. (with C.R. Nicholson) - 19811981 in literatureThe year 1981 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction given for the first time...
: The Universal Dance: a Selection from the Critical Prose Writings of Charles Brasch, Dunedin: University of Otago Press
External links
- Full bibliography
- Landfall website
- http://www.odt.co.nz/lifestyle/magazine/47388/charles-brasch-a-man-alone?page=0%2C0 Benson, Nigel (14 March 2009) "Charles Brasch: A man alone" (Otago Daily Times.)