07 Sep Philip Larkin
Philip Larkin (1922-85) was one of England’s leading 20th Century poets. In 2008 The Times newspaper rated him Britain’s greatest post-war writer. His reputation was established by the collection The Whitsun Weddings (1964), which includes the poem of the same name and An Arundel Tomb. Another collection, High Windows (1974), was also well-received: it includes the ever-popular This Be The Verse.
Larkin enjoyed a long career as a librarian. It was while working at the University of Hull library (from 1955 until his death) that he produced most of the poetry for which he is renowned today. He died in Hull (his adopted home town) at the age of 63 and he’s commemorated by a remarkable seven-foot statue in the Hull Paragon Interchange (rail and bus station). Also in Hull, the Larkin Trail connects 25 sites that are associated with the poet. In London, Larkin is commemorated with a memorial stone in Poets’ Corner in Westminster Abbey.