Geoffrey Phibbs
Encyclopedia
Geoffrey Phibbs was an Irish poet; he took his mother's name and called himself Geoffrey Taylor, after about 1930. He was brought up in Sligo
, and educated at Haileybury
.
In 1924 he married the artist Norah McGuinness
.
The poetry collection The Withering of the Fig Leaf (1927) was to be published by the Hogarth Press
. At the last moment Phibbs became concerned about perceived anti-Catholic sentiment in it, and asked Leonard Woolf
to withdraw it. Another collection, It Was Not Jones, was issued by Hogarth in 1928, but under the pseudonym R. Fitzurse.
Also in 1928 Robert Graves
visited him in Sligo
; in 1929 Phibbs came to London, and his arrival unbalanced the menage of Graves, his wife Nancy Nicholson
and Laura Riding
. There are many accounts, generally contested, of subsequent events.
After some confusion, Graves and Riding were together in Spain, Phibbs and Nicholson were together in Wiltshire
; and Phibbs in 1929 divorced McGuinness.
In 1935 he married Mary Dillwyn, and in 1940 returned to Ireland. He was subsequently known mostly for anthologies, and non-fiction writing. As literary editor of The Bell, he gave significant space to poetry from Northern Ireland, and allowed Roy McFadden
a critical voice. His selection, Irish Poems of Today: Chosen from the First Seven Volumes of "The Bell", appeared in 1944. In the same period he met and struck up a strong friendship with John Betjeman
; they worked on several poetry collections.
Sligo
Sligo is the county town of County Sligo in Ireland. The town is a borough and has a charter and a town mayor. It is sometimes referred to as a city, and sometimes as a town, and is the second largest urban area in Connacht...
, and educated at Haileybury
Haileybury and Imperial Service College
Haileybury and Imperial Service College, , is a prestigious British independent school founded in 1862. The school is located at Hertford Heath, near Hertford, from central London, on of parkland occupied until 1858 by the East India College...
.
In 1924 he married the artist Norah McGuinness
Norah McGuinness
Norah McGuinness was an Irish painter and illustrator.Norah McGuinness trained at the Dublin Metropolitan School of Art and at Chelsea Polytechnic in London before spending the 1920s working in Dublin as a book illustrator and stage designer...
.
The poetry collection The Withering of the Fig Leaf (1927) was to be published by the Hogarth Press
Hogarth Press
The Hogarth Press was founded in 1917 by Leonard Woolf and Virginia Woolf. It was named after their house in Richmond, in which they began hand-printing books....
. At the last moment Phibbs became concerned about perceived anti-Catholic sentiment in it, and asked Leonard Woolf
Leonard Woolf
Leonard Sidney Woolf was an English political theorist, author, publisher and civil servant, and husband of author Virginia Woolf.-Early life:...
to withdraw it. Another collection, It Was Not Jones, was issued by Hogarth in 1928, but under the pseudonym R. Fitzurse.
Also in 1928 Robert Graves
Robert Graves
Robert von Ranke Graves 24 July 1895 – 7 December 1985 was an English poet, translator and novelist. During his long life he produced more than 140 works...
visited him in Sligo
Sligo
Sligo is the county town of County Sligo in Ireland. The town is a borough and has a charter and a town mayor. It is sometimes referred to as a city, and sometimes as a town, and is the second largest urban area in Connacht...
; in 1929 Phibbs came to London, and his arrival unbalanced the menage of Graves, his wife Nancy Nicholson
Nancy Nicholson
Nancy Nicholson was a British painter and fabric designer.Born Annie Mary Pryde Nicholson, she was the only daughter of the artists Sir William Nicholson and Mabel Pryde. She had three brothers, sculptor Ben Nicholson, architect Christopher Nicholson and Anthony, who was killed in action in 1918...
and Laura Riding
Laura Riding
Laura Jackson was an American poet, critic, novelist, essayist and short story writer.- Early life :...
. There are many accounts, generally contested, of subsequent events.
After some confusion, Graves and Riding were together in Spain, Phibbs and Nicholson were together in Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
; and Phibbs in 1929 divorced McGuinness.
In 1935 he married Mary Dillwyn, and in 1940 returned to Ireland. He was subsequently known mostly for anthologies, and non-fiction writing. As literary editor of The Bell, he gave significant space to poetry from Northern Ireland, and allowed Roy McFadden
Roy McFadden
-External links:* http://www.pgil-eirdata.org/html/pgil_datasets/authors/Mc/McFadden,R/life.htm* http://www.kennys.ie/categories/irishwriters/mcfaddenroy.php* http://www.sarahferris.co.uk/pages/roymcfadden.htm* http://www.jstor.org/pss/29735944...
a critical voice. His selection, Irish Poems of Today: Chosen from the First Seven Volumes of "The Bell", appeared in 1944. In the same period he met and struck up a strong friendship with John Betjeman
John Betjeman
Sir John Betjeman, CBE was an English poet, writer and broadcaster who described himself in Who's Who as a "poet and hack".He was a founding member of the Victorian Society and a passionate defender of Victorian architecture...
; they worked on several poetry collections.