List of Cornish writers

William Golding, Nobel Laureate

Caroline Fox^[1][2][3]

This is a list of writers in English and Cornish, who are associated with Cornwall and Cornish linguists (Cornish: Rol a skriforyon Kernewek). Not all of them are native Cornish people.

Some Cornish writers have reached a high level of prominence, e.g. William Golding, who won the Nobel Prize for literature (in 1983), D. M. Thomas who won the Cheltenham Prize for Literature and Arthur Quiller-Couch ("Q").

Some of the "incomers" have written extensively about Cornwall and the Cornish, e.g. Daphne du Maurier, who went as far as joining Mebyon Kernow.

Historians and scholars

See List of Cornish historians

Novelists

Daphne du Maurier

Arthur Quiller-Couch

Wilfred Bennetto, writer of the first full-length novel in Cornish Janie Bolitho, crime writer[4] W. J. Burley, Wycliffe series Jack Clemo, poet Myrna Combellack, novelist and scholar Daphne du Maurier[5] Martin Fido. crime writer Patrick Gale Robert Goddard William Golding, Nobel laureate[6] Winston Graham, Poldark series[7] Tim Heald[8] Joseph Hocking, author and preacher Silas Hocking, author and preacher[9] Ann Kelley Alan M. Kent, poet, novelist and scholar John le Carré[10] Charles Lee, (1870–1956)[11] Kitty Lee (Kitty Lee Jenner, 1854–1936) Herman Cyril McNeile, "Sapper", novelist

Jessica Mann, crime writer[12] Charlotte Mary Matheson, novelist Gertrude Parsons, Roman Catholic novelist Mark Guy Pearse, author and preacher Rosamunde Pilcher Arthur Quiller-Couch, aka "Q", novelist and scholar Alastair Reynolds, lived in Cornwall as child Jean Rhys, novelist, lived at Bude for a period Angie Sage, author and illustrator[13] Howard Spring Derek Tangye Nigel Tangye D. M. Thomas E. V. Thompson Enys Tregarthen, writer and folklorist John Coulson Tregarthen, novelist and naturalist Craig Weatherhill, archaeologist, Cornish historian, writer Mary Wesley Colin Wilson

Poets

John Barber Wilfred Bennetto, poet and novelist writing in Cornish[14] John Betjeman, Poet Laureate, English writer and scholar, frequent visitor to Cornwall and writer on culture Ronald Bottrall Arthur Caddick Charles Causley, poet from Launceston Helena Charles Jack Clemo, poet Jane Crewdson Caroline Fox, diarist William Golding W. S. Graham, Scottish poet Geoffrey Grigson, poet and prose writer Thomas Hardy, English novelist and poet, met his wife Emma Gifford, while he was working at St Juliot church, near Boscastle[15] (some of his poems are about events in Cornwall) John Harris, miner and poet Richard Jenkin Ann Kelley Les Merton, varying styles, including dialect poetry; also a publisher Christopher Middleton Bernard Moore Peter Mundy, traveller from Penryn

Robert Morton Nance Mick Paynter, contemporary poet writing in Cornish William Henry Paynter Margaret Steuart Pollard Richard Polwhele Henry Quick Arthur Quiller-Couch Peter Redgrove A. L. Rowse, historian, poet and scholar Tim Saunders, contemporary poet writing in Cornish Penelope Shuttle Henry Sewell Stokes, poet D. M. Thomas Terence Tiller, poet and radio producer Lawrence Upton Robert Walling

Playwrights and dramatists

• Nick Darke, playwright^[16]
• Daphne du Maurier, novelist and playwright
• Samuel Foote, playwright and actor
• William Golding
• William Killigrew, playwright
• Charles Lee
• Donald Rawe
• D. M. Thomas

Children's writers

• Nick Carter^[17]
• Ann Kelley
• Jack Trelawny^[18]
• Sharon Tregenza^[19]

Linguists and writers in Cornish

Henry Jenner

Wilfred Bennetto, poet and novelist writing in Cornish[14] John Boson, Nicholas Boson, and Thomas Boson, 18th-century writers in the Cornish language[20] Richard Carew, translator and antiquary[21] John Davey, of Zennor, last person with any traditional knowledge of Cornish, died 1891: he wrote a few verses in the language Richard Gendall[22] Ken George[23] Haldreyn (William Morris), poet Steve Harris, translator and writer[24][25] Julyan Holmes, scholar Fred W. P. Jago, linguist and physician Henry Jenner[26]

John of Cornwall, medieval grammarian Robert Morton Nance[27] Mick Paynter, contemporary poet writing in Cornish Tim Saunders, contemporary poet writing in Cornish William Scawen, soldier and linguist[28] A. S. D. Smith, scholar Tony Snell, poet and linguist John Tregear[29] Jim Wearne Nicholas Williams, linguist, translator of the Bible into Cornish

Bards of the Gorseth Kernow

This is an honorary position, not all of the bards are Cornish or based in Cornwall. For purposes of brevity, those mentioned above are not repeated.

Malcolm Arnold Vanessa Beeman John Langdon Bonython Gilbert Hunter Doble Peter Berresford Ellis Charles Henderson Kenneth Hamilton Jenkin Loveday Jenkin John Kendall-Carpenter Peter Lanyon Ivan Rabey

Joan Rendell Goff Richards Richard Rutt Tim Saunders A. S. D. Smith Tony Snell Thomas Taylor Charles Thomas Richard Trant John Coulson Tregarthen Garry Tregidga Robert Walling Richard John Maddern-Williams

References

1. Fox, Caroline (1883). Horace N. Pym, ed. Memories of Old Friends. London: Smith, Elder, and Co. – Frontispiece, from an etching by Sir Hubert Herkomer, after a painting by Samuel Laurence, depicting Caroline Fox, age 27. Volume 1 available online at Internet Archive and Volume 2 at Internet Archive
2. Robinson, William (1891). Friends of a Half Century. London: Edward Hicks. Retrieved 9 December 2007. – page 138
3. Memories . . .
4. "Janie Bolitho". Retrieved 21 March 2009.
5. Margaret Forster, 'Du Maurier, Dame Daphne (1907–1989)’, rev., Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004 accessed 20 Dec 2008
6. Kevin McCarron, 'Golding, Sir William Gerald (1911–1993)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, Sept 2004; online edn, May 2006 accessed 20 Dec 2008
7. Dennis Barker, 'Graham, Winston Mawdsley (1908?–2003)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, online edn, Oxford University Press, Jan 2007 accessed 20 Dec 2008
8. Heald, Tim (12 March 2008). "Curriculum Vitae". Tim Heald's website. Retrieved 20 December 2008.
9. R. G. Burnett, 'Hocking, Silas Kitto (1850–1935)’, rev. Sayoni Basu, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, May 2006 accessed 16 Dec 2008
10. Podolsky, J. D.; Wright, John (13 September 1993). "John Le Carre". People. Retrieved 20 December 2008.
11. "Charles Lee, author". Cornwall Calling. Retrieved 16 December 2008.
12. "Jessica Mann". Retrieved 21 March 2009.
13. "An Interview with Angie Sage". BookBrowse. Retrieved 16 December 2008.
14. Old Croydonian Teachers database
15. Michael Millgate, 'Hardy, Thomas (1840–1928)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, Sept 2004; online edn, May 2006 accessed 16 Dec 2008
16. Michell, Roger (15 June 2005). "Obituary: Nick Darke". The Observer. Retrieved 16 December 2008.
17. Walter and Wilbur
18. Kernowland children's novels
19. Sharon Tregenza website
20. Matthew Spriggs, 'Boson family (per. c.1675–1730)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, Sept 2004; online edn, Jan 2008 accessed 16 Dec 2008
21. S. Mendyk, 'Carew, Richard (1555–1620)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004 accessed 16 Dec 2008
22. Sale, Jonathan (31 July 2005). "How do you say 'bugger off' in Cornish?". The Observer. Retrieved 16 December 2008.
23. "Piw on ni? Who are we?". Kesva an Taves Kernewek and Cornish. Retrieved 16 December 2008.
24. "Karol Nadelik". Kowethas an Yeth Kernewek.
25. "Briallen ha'n Alyon". Ors Sempel.
26. Peter W. Thomas, 'Jenner, Henry (1848–1934)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, online edn, Oxford University Press, May 2005 accessed 16 Dec 2008
27. Brian Murdoch, 'Nance, Robert Morton (1873–1959)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004 accessed 16 Dec 2008
28. Matthew Spriggs, 'Scawen, William (1600–1689)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004 accessed 16 Dec 2008
29. "The Tregear Homilies". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 20 November 2009.

External links

• Poetry Cornwall