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Bernard Spencer




He was born in Madras , India and educated at Marlborough College and Corpus Christi College, Oxford . At Marlborough he knew John Betjeman and Louis MacNeice ; at Oxford Stephen Spender , and he also came across W. H. Auden . He edited ''Oxford Poetry'' in 1930 - 1931 . He was not, however, drawn far into what was soon known as the Auden Group ; he is identified much more with the type of poetry later exemplified by Lawrence Durrell , and is for some critics the stand-out in the Cairo Poets . His potential was never quite fulfilled, partly because of poor health.

After graduation he made a living from teaching and writing, marrying the actress Norah Gibbs in 1936 . At that time he was collaborating on Geoffrey Grigson 's ''New Verse''. In World War II he worked for the British Council , in Greece and then Egypt . There he edited the ''Personal Landscape'' magazine.

After the war he continued to work for the British Council , being posted to Italy . Norah died in 1947 , of Tuberculosis . He himself was ill for a time. Through other postings he wrote little.

He was married again in 1961 , to Anne Marjoribanks. He died in Vienna , apparently in an accident, while once more in bad health.


WORKS


  • ''Aegean Islands and Other Poems'' ( 1946 )

  • ''The Twist in the Plotting ''( 1960 )

  • ''With Luck Lasting'' ( 1963 )

  • ''Collected Poems'' ( 1965 ) edited by Alan Ross

  • ''Collected Poems'' ( 1981 ) edited by Roger Bowen