Peter Redgrove
Peter William Redgrove was an English poet, journalist, and chemist, known for his exploration of the interplay between human rationality and the elemental forces of nature. Born on January 2, 1932, in Kingston-on-Thames, Surrey, he received his education at Taunton School and Queens' College, Cambridge. Redgrove's career began in scientific journalism and editing, during which he contributed to educational topics for notable publications like The Times. His poetry debut occurred in 1960, and he quickly gained recognition, receiving a Fulbright grant to serve as the poet-in-residence at the University of Buffalo and later as the Gregory Fellow in poetry at the University of Leeds.
Throughout his life, Redgrove's work often reflected his fascination with scientific concepts and the natural world. He was married twice, with his second partner, Penelope Shuttle, significantly influencing his later writing. Beyond poetry, he also wrote scripts for radio and television, many of which were produced by the BBC. His notable accolades include the Queen's Gold Medal for Poetry in 1996 and a nomination for a Whitbread Award in 1997. Redgrove published several poetry collections during his lifetime, with a posthumous collection released in 2002. He passed away on June 16, 2003, leaving a legacy captured in various archives, including a collection of his papers at the University of Sheffield.
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Subject Terms
Peter Redgrove
Poet and scriptwriter
- Born: January 2, 1932
- Birthplace: Kingston-upon-Thames, Surrey, England
- Died: June 16, 2003
- Place of death: Falmouth, Cornwall, England
Biography
Peter William Redgrove, poet, journalist, and chemist, continually explored the relationships between the rational powers of the human mind and the elemental powers of organic nature. He was born in Kingston-on-Thames, Surrey, England, on January 2, 1932, and educated at Taunton School and Queens’ College, Cambridge University. During a stay in Spain in 1957, he taught English language and literature at the Academia Britanica in Malaga. From 1954 to 1961, he worked as a scientific journalist, editor, and research chemist, writing on educational topics for The Times.
After his first volume of poems came out in 1960, Redgrove received a Fulbright grant and became the visiting poet-in- residence at the University of Buffalo, New York, until 1962, and then the Gregory Fellow in poetry at the University of Leeds, England, until 1965. His first three volumes of poetry were all published within a three-year period; all three books displayed Redgrove’s fascination with scientific detail and the natural world. During this time, Redgrove married; he and his wife, Barbara Redgrove, had three children, but divorced after thirteen years of marriage. Redgrove began living with Penelope Shuttle, who became a frequent cowriter on much of his later work; they had a daughter in 1976 and were married in December, 1980.
Redgrove was a lecturer in contemporary studies at the Falmouth School of Art, Falmouth, England, and wrote radio and television scripts in addition to poetry; many of these scripts were produced by the British Broadcasting Corporation’s (BBC) radio and television stations. Yale University, the Library of Congress, and other institutions produced recordings of Redgrove reading his poetry.
Redgrove’s work was collected in several volumes, including Sons of My Skin: Redgrove’s Selected Poems, 1954-1974 and The Book of Wonders: The Best of Peter Redgrove’s Poetry. He was awarded the Queen’s Gold Medal for Poetry in 1996, and his collection Assembling a Ghost was nominated for a Whitbread Award in 1997. At the age of seventy, Redgrove brought out a collection of new work, From the Virgil Caverns (2002).
Redgrove died on June 16, 2003. A collection of his papers is archived at the University of Sheffield.