Polly Samson | |
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 Samson in 2020 | |
| Born | (1962-04-29)29 April 1962 (age 62) London, England |
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| Children | 4 |
| Website | pollysamson |
Polly Samson (born 29 April 1962) is an English novelist, lyricist and journalist. She is married to the musicianDavid Gilmour and has written lyrics for many of his songs, including albums with his bandPink Floyd.
Samson's father was Lance Samson, a newspaper editor[1] and diplomatic correspondent for theMorning Star.[2] He and his Jewish family lived inHamburg, from where he fled from Nazi persecution as a child on theKindertransport, coming to England as a refugee.[3] Her mother was Esther Cheo Ying, aChinese-English writer[3] whose memoir,Black Country to Red China, dealt with her time serving as a Major inMao Zedong'sRed Army.[4] Samson's mother's second husband was the British journalistAlan Winnington.[5]
Following a troubled childhood, Samson joined the publishing industry, through which she met the writerHeathcote Williams, with whom she became romantically involved during the publication of his book-length poemWhale Nation (1988). Samson was responsible for publicising what became a best-selling volume, despite Williams's reluctance to promote his own work.[6] With Williams she had her first son, Charlie.[7] Following his birth, Samson became homeless and was taken in for a period by the journalistCassandra Jardine.[8]
Samson has written short stories forBBC Radio 4 and has had a collection publishedLying in Bed (Virago 1999) and a novel,Out of the Picture (Virago 2000).[7] She contributed to books and publications includingGas and Air (Bloomsbury 2003),Girls Night In (Harper Collins 2000),A Day in the Life (Black Swan 2003), andThe Just When Stories (Beautiful Books 2010). Samson's collection of stories,Perfect Lives, was published in November 2010 by Virago Press. Her novelThe Kindness was published in 2015.[9]
In 2018, Samson was made a Fellow of theRoyal Society of Literature.[10] Her novelA Theatre For Dreamers was published on 2 April 2020 by Bloomsbury Circus.[11] The novel entered theSunday Times Bestsellers Chart at number two.[12]
After splitting from Williams, Samson met thePink Floyd singer and guitaristDavid Gilmour. They married in 1994 during Pink Floyd'sDivision Bell tour.[13] Her son Charlie was adopted by Gilmour.[13] They have three other children: Joe, Gabriel and Romany.[4]
Samson is credited as a co-writer on seven songs on the 1994 Pink Floyd albumThe Division Bell.[14] Gilmour said that Samson's contributions had "ruffled the management's [feathers]", but the producerBob Ezrin later reflected that her presence had been inspirational for Gilmour, and that she "pulled the whole album together".[15] Samson did not want credit, saying "the idea of my name being attached to Pink Floyd was like some nightmare", but Gilmour insisted, telling her she would regret going uncredited. She later said he was right, and that she had become used to him singing her lyrics.[16]
Samson contributed lyrics to "Louder than Words" on the 2014 Pink Floyd albumThe Endless River.[17] She wrote lyrics for Gilmour's 2006 albumOn an Island,[14] and made a guest appearance on piano and vocals.[14] She also wrote lyrics for Gilmour's albumsRattle That Lock (2015) andLuck and Strange (2024).[18]
On 6 February 2023, Samson tweeted to Gilmour's former Pink Floyd bandmateRoger Waters: "Sadly you are antisemitic to your rotten core. Also aPutin apologist and a lying, thieving, hypocritical, tax-avoiding, lip-synching, misogynistic, sick-with-envy, megalomaniac. Enough of your nonsense."[19] Gilmour followed up by writing: "Every word demonstrably true."[20]
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