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Gavin Ewart | |
|---|---|
| Born | Gavin Buchanan Ewart 4 February 1916 London, England |
| Died | 23 October 1995(1995-10-23) (aged 79) London, England |
| Education | Wellington College |
| Alma mater | Christ's College, Cambridge |
| Occupation | Poet |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 2 |
| Awards | Cholmondeley Award, 1971 Michael Braude Award for Light Verse, 1991 |
Gavin Buchanan EwartFRSL (4 February 1916 – 23 October 1995) was a British poet who contributed toGeoffrey Grigson'sNew Verse at the age of seventeen.[1][2]
Gavin Ewart was born in London to George and Dorothy (née Turner).[3] His father, a distinguished surgeon atSt George's Hospital, came from an intellectually robust lineage; his paternal grandfather,James Cossar Ewart, was a renowned Scottish zoologist.[4] His familial milieu included two younger sisters, Nancy and Jean, born in 1917 and 1920, respectively.[4]
Educated atWellington College, Ewart progressed toChrist's College, Cambridge, where he received aB.A. in 1937 and anM.A. in 1942.[3] The outbreak ofWorld War II saw him serve as aRoyal Artillery officer, a period which inevitably interrupted his poetic endeavours. Post-war, his career meandered through publishing and theBritish Council, culminating in his role as an advertisingcopywriter from 1952 onwards. His residence atKenilworth Court inPutney, London, is commemorated by a blue plaque.[3]
Ewart’s poetic journey began under the aegis of Geoffrey Grigson, with his work appearing inNew Verse at seventeen. Early collections such asPhallus in Wonderland andPoems and Songs (1939) showcased his wit and lyrical deftness. However, the war years stymied his poetic output, and it wasn’t untilLondoners in 1964 that he published another volume. Nevertheless, he contributed the English lyrics for the “World Song” of theWorld Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts during this hiatus.
The post-1964 period was prolific for Ewart. His collections, includingThe Gavin Ewart Show (1971),No Fool like an Old Fool (1976),All My Little Ones (1978),The Ewart Quarto (1984),The Young Pobble’s Guide to His Toes (1985), andPenultimate Poems (1989), firmly established his reputation.The Collected Ewart: 1933–1980 (1980) andCollected Poems: 1980–1990 (1991) consolidated his oeuvre.
Ewart’s poetry, noted for its irreverent eroticism and sharp commentary on human behaviour, was both entertaining and thought-provoking. This very irreverence led to the banning ofThe Pleasures of the Flesh (1966) byW.H. Smith. His editorial acumen was evident in anthologies such asThe Penguin Book of Light Verse (1980), and his contribution to light verse earned him the Michael Braude Award in 1991.
Ewart’s life and legacy are chronicled inCivil Humor: The Poetry of Gavin Ewart by Stephen W. Delchamps (Fairleigh Dickinson University Press, 2002), a testament to his enduring influence. As an editor, he produced numerous anthologies, includingThe Penguin Book of Light Verse (1980). He was the 1991 recipient of theMichael Braude Award for Light Verse.
In 1956, Ewart married Margo Bennett, and they had two children.[3] An atheist, he was actively involved with theBritish Humanist Association.[3] Ewart died from prostate cancer atRoyal Trinity Hospice on 23 October 1995, at the age of 79.[3]Nigel Spivey recalled interviewing Ewart for theFinancial Times over a convivial lunch the day before his death, at which 'the main item on the agenda was alcohol, not food'. The following day Spivey received a call from Mrs Ewart: "There are two things you need to know," she said. "The first is that Gavin came home yesterday happier than I have seen him in a long time. The second – and you are not to feel bad about this – is that he died this morning."[5]
