Basil Bunting

British modernist poet, Basil Bunting (1900-1985), was born in Scotswood-on-Tyne, Northumberland, and passed away in Hexham, Northumberland. His life overlapped with both World Wars. He was drafted during World War I and subsequently imprisoned for being a conscientious objector. During World War II, he enlisted in the Royal Air Force and worked for the British Intelligence as a translator in Persia (now Iran), staying on well beyond the tenure of his appointment. Despite numerous collections, Bunting’s autobiographical long poem, Briggflats (1966)—with references to medieval literary subject matter and style—is his most influential book of poetry. It exemplifies his lifelong interest in the sound of poetry and comes to life when read out loud. Bunting’s friendship with Peter Quartermain brought him to Vancouver in 1970 and 1984. Quartermain’s biography, Basil Bunting: Poet of the North, remains the authoritative study of Bunting’s life.