Phoebe Hesketh
Encyclopedia
Phoebe Hesketh, was an English
poet from Lancashire notable for her poems depicting nature.
. Her father was the pioneer radiologist Arthur E. Rayner; her mother was a violin
ist in the Hallé Orchestra. Among her aunts was the suffragette Edith Rigby
. She was educated at Cheltenham Ladies' College
, but left at the age of 17 to care for her ill mother. She married Aubrey Hesketh, the director of a mill, in 1931 at the age of 22 and they then lived in Rivington
, Lancashire. Her first collection, Poems, was published in 1939 by Sherratt & Hughes, Manchester, although she would later disown this work to some extent.
During World War II
Hesketh worked as woman's page editor of the Bolton Evening News. In 1948 she published her second volume, Lean Forward, Spring!, (London: Sidgwick and Jackson), a book that earned her widespread acclaim amongst the literary community, including from Siegfried Sassoon
. Throughout her career she would produce sixteen books and, although she never achieved popular success, was championed by several well-known figures including Sassoon, Roy Campbell
, and Al Alvarez
.
After the War she was a freelance lecturer, poetry teacher and journalist, producing many articles for journals and scripts for the BBC. Her collected poems were gathered together in Netting the Sun: new and collected poems (Petersfield: Enitharmon Press, 1989). Her poetry for younger readers was published in A Song of Sunlight (Chatto, 1974) and in Six of the Best (Puffin, 1989). She was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature
in 1956, and a Fellow of the University of Central Lancashire
in 1990.
For almost all of her life she lived in Lancashire, in a landscape frequently described in her poetry, and also in her prose books Rivington (1972) and Village of the Mountain Ash (1990). From her marriage until she was widowed she lived at Rivington, and afterwards at Heath Charnock
. She wrote a biography of her aunt Edith Rigby
, published in 1966. The Heskeths had three children. One of her poems describes the death of her young son.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
poet from Lancashire notable for her poems depicting nature.
Life and writing
Hesketh was born in Preston, LancashireLancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
. Her father was the pioneer radiologist Arthur E. Rayner; her mother was a violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
ist in the Hallé Orchestra. Among her aunts was the suffragette Edith Rigby
Edith Rigby
Edith Rigby was an English suffragette. She was a contemporary of Christabel and Sylvia Pankhurst.-Biography:Born Edith Rayner on St Luke's Day in 1872 in Preston, Lancashire, she was one of seven children of Dr Alexander Clement Rayner and was educated at Penrhos College in North Wales. She...
. She was educated at Cheltenham Ladies' College
Cheltenham Ladies' College
The Cheltenham Ladies' College is an independent boarding and day school for girls aged 11 to 18 in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England.-History:The school was founded in 1853...
, but left at the age of 17 to care for her ill mother. She married Aubrey Hesketh, the director of a mill, in 1931 at the age of 22 and they then lived in Rivington
Rivington
Rivington is a small village and civil parish of the Borough of Chorley, Lancashire, England, occupying . It is about southeast of Chorley and about northwest of Bolton. Rivington is situated on the fringe of the West Pennine Moors, at the foot of Rivington Pike...
, Lancashire. Her first collection, Poems, was published in 1939 by Sherratt & Hughes, Manchester, although she would later disown this work to some extent.
During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
Hesketh worked as woman's page editor of the Bolton Evening News. In 1948 she published her second volume, Lean Forward, Spring!, (London: Sidgwick and Jackson), a book that earned her widespread acclaim amongst the literary community, including from Siegfried Sassoon
Siegfried Sassoon
Siegfried Loraine Sassoon CBE MC was an English poet, author and soldier. Decorated for bravery on the Western Front, he became one of the leading poets of the First World War. His poetry both described the horrors of the trenches, and satirised the patriotic pretensions of those who, in Sassoon's...
. Throughout her career she would produce sixteen books and, although she never achieved popular success, was championed by several well-known figures including Sassoon, Roy Campbell
Roy Campbell (poet)
Ignatius Royston Dunnachie Campbell, better known as Roy Campbell, was an Anglo-African poet and satirist. He was considered by T. S. Eliot, Dylan Thomas and Edith Sitwell to have been one of the best poets of the period between the First and Second World Wars...
, and Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez is an English poet, writer and critic who publishes under the name A. Alvarez and Al Alvarez....
.
After the War she was a freelance lecturer, poetry teacher and journalist, producing many articles for journals and scripts for the BBC. Her collected poems were gathered together in Netting the Sun: new and collected poems (Petersfield: Enitharmon Press, 1989). Her poetry for younger readers was published in A Song of Sunlight (Chatto, 1974) and in Six of the Best (Puffin, 1989). She was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature
Royal Society of Literature
The Royal Society of Literature is the "senior literary organisation in Britain". It was founded in 1820 by George IV, in order to "reward literary merit and excite literary talent". The Society's first president was Thomas Burgess, who later became the Bishop of Salisbury...
in 1956, and a Fellow of the University of Central Lancashire
University of Central Lancashire
The University of Central Lancashire is a university based in Preston, Lancashire, England.The university has its roots in The Institution For The Diffusion Of Useful Knowledge which was founded in 1828. In 1992 it was granted University status by the Privy Council...
in 1990.
For almost all of her life she lived in Lancashire, in a landscape frequently described in her poetry, and also in her prose books Rivington (1972) and Village of the Mountain Ash (1990). From her marriage until she was widowed she lived at Rivington, and afterwards at Heath Charnock
Heath Charnock
Heath Charnock is a small village and civil parish of the Borough of Chorley in Lancashire, England. It is adjacent to Adlington and Anderton. According to the United Kingdom Census 2001 it has a population of 2,065.-History:...
. She wrote a biography of her aunt Edith Rigby
Edith Rigby
Edith Rigby was an English suffragette. She was a contemporary of Christabel and Sylvia Pankhurst.-Biography:Born Edith Rayner on St Luke's Day in 1872 in Preston, Lancashire, she was one of seven children of Dr Alexander Clement Rayner and was educated at Penrhos College in North Wales. She...
, published in 1966. The Heskeths had three children. One of her poems describes the death of her young son.
Separately published works
- 1939: Poems. Manchester: Sherratt & Hughes
- 1948: Lean Forward, Spring!. London: Sidgwick and Jackson. (Poems)
- 1952: No Time for Cowards. London: Heinemann. (Poems)
- 1954: Out of the Dark. London: Heinemann. (Poems)
- 1956: Between Wheels and Stars. London: Heinemann. (Poems)
- 1958: The Buttercup Children. London: Hart-Davis. (Poems)
- 1966: My Aunt Edith. London: Peter Davies. (Biography)
- 1966: Prayer for Sun. London: Hart-Davis. (Poems)
- 1972: Rivington: the story of a village. London: Peter Davies. (Partly autobiography, partly history.)
- 1974: A Song of Sunlight. London: Chatto & Windus. (Poems)
- 1977: Preparing to Leave. London: Enitharmon Press. (Poems)
- 1980: The Eighth Day. London: Enitharmon Press. (Poems)
- 1985: A Ring of Leaves. Birmingham: Hayloft Press ISBN 0948764015. (Poems: "Limited ed. of 300 copies, published to celebrate the poet's 75th birthday")
- 1985: What can the Matter Be?. Penzance: United Writers. (Prose)
- 1986: Over the Brook. Leicester: Taxus. (Poems)
- 1989: Six of the Best. Harmondsworth: Penguin Books. (Poems)
- 1989: Netting the Sun: new and collected poems. Petersfield: Enitharmon Press
- 1990: Rivington: village of the mountain ash. Preston: Carnegie. (Partly autobiography, partly history.)
- 1992: Sundowner. London: Enitharmon Press. (Poems)
- 1994: The Leave Train. London: Enitharmon Press. (Poems)
- 1997: A Box of Silver Birch. London: Enitharmon Press. (Poems)