Gwen Harwood
Gwen Harwood, born Gwendoline Nessie Foster in 1920 in Brisbane, Queensland, was a prominent Australian poet recognized for her contributions to literature, particularly in the themes of love, loss, and nature mysticism. Raised in a family of strong women, including a feminist mother and a grandmother who introduced her to poetry, Harwood developed a deep appreciation for the arts early on. She earned a music teaching diploma and served as an organist before marrying Frank Harwood in 1945 and moving to Hobart, Tasmania.
Her poetic career began in the late 1950s, gaining momentum with several volumes published under various pseudonyms, each receiving critical acclaim. Harwood's work often showcased her sharp wit and parodic style, evolving over time to include a more serene, reflective quality reminiscent of Wordsworth. In addition to her poetry, she collaborated as a librettist with composer Larry Sitsky. Despite facing health challenges, including a battle with cancer, Harwood continued to write until her death in 1995. Her legacy endures through numerous awards, including the Robert Frost Award and the Patrick White Award, as well as the establishment of the Gwen Harwood Poetry Prize in her honor.
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Gwen Harwood
Poet
- Born: June 8, 1920
- Birthplace: Taringa, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
- Died: December 5, 1995
- Place of death: Hobart, Australia
Biography
Gwendoline Nessie Foster was born in a neighborhood of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, in 1920. Her father, Joseph, was a salesman; her mother, Agnes, a schoolteacher. She was surrounded by strong women. Her mother was a feminist and active in community issues; her grandmother earned her own living until she was eighty, and also introduced her to poetry. Her father played the piano and violin. In 1933, she began attending Brisbane Girls’ Grammar School, a leading academic institution, developing there a love for music. In 1939, she gained a music teaching diploma with distinction, and was appointed organist at All Saints Church, Brisbane. After a brief entry into an Anglican convent, she worked for the War Damage Commission during World War II.
An extensive correspondence with a naval officer, Thomas Riddell, ensued. Its eventual publication in 1990 as Blessed City shows her keen mind, wit, and lively style. In 1943 she met Frank Harwood, a friend of Riddell’s. They married in 1945 and removed to Hobart, Tasmania where Harwood had been appointed to the department of linguistics at the University of Tasmania. Gwen felt cut off from the warmth of Queensland, but devoted herself to raising her four children. She took time to read widely, especially the philosophy of Ludwig Wittgenstein. She came into contact with a leading Australian literary critic and scholar, Vincent Buckley, who encouraged her throughout her poetic career until his death in 1988.
In 1975, her husband had to retire due to ill health and they moved to the coast. By this time, her success as a leading Australian poet was assured. In 1985, they moved back to Hobart, where she was diagnosed with breast cancer, averted through surgery. However, in 1995, the cancer had returned in her liver and was diagnosed inoperable. Her ashes were scattered over the Brisbane River.
Her poetry had modest beginnings: offerings to two literary magazines, which won her prizes in 1959 and 1960. In the early sixties, she published a number of volumes of poetry under different pseudonyms, each pseudonym being warmly praised. The themes were mainly of love and loss; she invented several personae to express her often dry parodic wit. Further volumes followed in 1975, 1988, 1990, and 1995. Later poems reflected nature mysticism and a more Wordsworthian serenity. But she also wrote of death in a series of elegies. In the 1970’s, she married her love of music with her poetry in becoming a librettist, especially for composer Larry Sitsky. The steady stream of her correspondence was collected and published posthumously in 2001.
She received numerous awards and honors for her poetry, including the Robert Frost Award in 1977, the Patrick White Award the following year, and later, a D.Litt. from the University of Queensland. The Hobart City Council instituted a Gwen Harwood Poetry Prize in 1996 to honor the name of one of Australia’s leading modern poets.