HUGHES, Ted

“What’s writing really about? It’s about trying to take fuller possession of the reality of your life.”

Edward James Hughes was born and grew up in the North of England, and his predominantly rural lifestyle on the moors of South Yorkshire is translated into much of his poetry, where his world is dominated by nature, and especially by animals.

In 1956, in conjunction with some friends, he launched what he hoped would be a successful Cambridge literary journal for poetry, The St Botolph’s Review – unfortunately there was only a single issue, but at the launch party he met Sylvia Plath, whom he married a scant four months later.  With her encouragement he offered a selection of poems to Faber & Faber, who published them in 1957 under the title The Hawk in the Rain.  The book gained immediate acclaim both in Britain and the USA.  His follow-up book of verse published in 1960, Lupercal, was reviewed by Leonard Clark who wrote "Watch this poet… if he continues to write poetry and develop at the present rate, he has a glowing future." 

Hughes was deeply marked by tragedy in his personal life, with the suicide of Sylvia followed only 4 years later by the suicide of his second wife, who also killed their daughter. However he remained publicly silent on the subject for more than 30 years, at which time he published The Birthday Letters, a collection of poems exploring the explosive nature of his relationship with Plath. 

An incredibly prolific poet, translator, editor, and children’s book author, Hughes was appointed Poet Laureate in 1984, a post he held until his death. Among his many awards, he was appointed to the Order of Merit, one of Britain’s highest honours.

Please scroll down to see our current collection of Ted Hughes first editions.