Francis Charles Webb-Wagg (8 February 1925 – 23 November 1973) was an Australian poet who published under the name Francis Webb. Diagnosed as suffering from schizophrenia in the 1950s, he spent most of his adult life in and out of psychiatric hospitals.
[''Poetic Australians.'' Carol Treloar. The Advertiser. 7 September 1991.] His output was prolific and his work has often been published in anthologies.
Early life
Francis Webb was born in
Adelaide
Adelaide ( ) is the capital city of South Australia, the state's largest city and the fifth-most populous city in Australia. "Adelaide" may refer to either Greater Adelaide (including the Adelaide Hills) or the Adelaide city centre. The dem ...
. His father was a musician, Director of the North Sydney Academy of Music before moving to Adelaide where he became the owner of a piano importing business in
Grenfell Street
Grenfell Street () is a major street in the north-east quarter of the Adelaide city centre, South Australia. The street runs west-east from King William Street to East Terrace. On the other side of King William Street, it continues as Currie S ...
. His mother was a socialite with a keen interest in horse racing. She died when he was two years old, and his father was hospitalised a year later. In 1928, Webb and his three sisters (Mavis, Claudia, and Leonie) were sent to live with their paternal grandparents, Charles and Amy Webb-Wagg, in Sydney.
Webb wrote his first poems as a birthday present for his paternal grandmother when he was seven years old, under the tutelage of an aunt who died before she could see them in print. When Webb was 14 years old his much loved grandfather died. Webb's first major individual publication came with the appearance of 'Palace of Dreams' in ''
The Bulletin'' (10 June 1942).
Having finished high school, Webb considered entry into
Sydney University
The University of Sydney (USYD), also known as Sydney University, or informally Sydney Uni, is a public research university located in Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and is one of the country's six ...
on a scholarship, but this plan was disrupted by the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
. He enlisted in the
Royal Australian Air Force
"Through Adversity to the Stars"
, colours =
, colours_label =
, march =
, mascot =
, anniversaries = RAAF Anniversary Commemoration ...
between 1943 and 1945 and spent time during the war based in Canada. His father died at Sydney's Callan Park Hospital a few weeks after his demobilisation.
Career
Webb enrolled at
Sydney University
The University of Sydney (USYD), also known as Sydney University, or informally Sydney Uni, is a public research university located in Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and is one of the country's six ...
in early 1946 but discontinued studies by mid-1946. His desire to write and travel saw his return to Canada in 1947, where he worked for the publisher
Macmillan
MacMillan, Macmillan, McMillen or McMillan may refer to:
People
* McMillan (surname)
* Clan MacMillan, a Highland Scottish clan
* Harold Macmillan, British statesman and politician
* James MacMillan, Scottish composer
* William Duncan MacMillan ...
. In 1948,
Angus & Robertson
Angus & Robertson (A&R) is a major Australian bookseller, publisher and printer. As book publishers, A&R has contributed substantially to the promotion and development of Australian literature.Alison, Jennifer (2001). "Publishers and editors: A ...
published his first collection of poems, ''A Drum for Ben Boyd'', with illustrations by
Norman Lindsay
Norman Alfred William Lindsay (22 February 1879 – 21 November 1969) was an Australian artist, etcher, sculptor, writer, art critic, novelist, cartoonist and amateur boxer. One of the most prolific and popular Australian artists of his genera ...
.
In 1949, after a period of employment, and the termination of his engagement to a Jewish girl named Ethel (whom he had met in Canada during the war), he set off for
Britain
Britain most often refers to:
* The United Kingdom, a sovereign state in Europe comprising the island of Great Britain, the north-eastern part of the island of Ireland and many smaller islands
* Great Britain, the largest island in the United King ...
. During this time, Webb's correspondence with Norman Lindsay faltered and he rejected illustrations proposed by Lindsay for his second collection, ''Leichhardt in Theatre'', which was eventually published by Angus & Robertson in 1952 (minus illustrations). Webb's break from Lindsay marked his rejection of Lindsay's renowned
anti-Semitism
Antisemitism (also spelled anti-semitism or anti-Semitism) is hostility to, prejudice towards, or discrimination against Jews. A person who holds such positions is called an antisemite. Antisemitism is considered to be a form of racism.
Antis ...
. Angus & Robertson did not publish his work again until he had regained the full support of
Douglas Stewart Douglas Stewart may refer to:
*Douglas Stewart (poet) (1913–1985), Australian poet
*Edward Askew Sothern (1826–1881), English actor who was sometimes known as Douglas Stewart
* Douglas Stewart (equestrian) (1913–1991), British Olympic equestri ...
(editor of ''The Bulletin'' and Lindsay's friend) a few years later.
Soon after Webb's 1949 arrival in England, he was confined to a mental asylum following a suicide attempt. His younger sister Leonie flew to England and retrieved her brother in 1950, stopping off at Rome on the trip home. Once back in Australia, he endured a period of itinerancy combined with ecstatic episodes of writing in
Galston, New South Wales
Galston is a semi-rural town located in the Hornsby District of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Galston is located from the city at 36 kilometres north-west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government ...
;
Melbourne
Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...
;
Semaphore, South Australia
Semaphore is a northwestern suburb of Adelaide in the Australian state of South Australia. It is located on the Gulf St Vincent coastline of the Lefevre Peninsula about from the Adelaide city centre.
History
Semaphore was first surveyed for ...
; and
Jamestown, South Australia
Jamestown is a town in the Mid North region of South Australia north of Adelaide. It lies on the banks of the Belalie Creek and on the Crystal Brook-Broken Hill railway line between Gladstone and Peterborough, and ultimately on the main line lin ...
until 1953. The creative product of these years, including his famous poems 'Birthday' (about
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler (; 20 April 188930 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was dictator of Nazi Germany, Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his death in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the le ...
's last hours) and 'The Canticle' (a poem about the life of
Francis of Assisi
Giovanni di Pietro di Bernardone, better known as Saint Francis of Assisi ( it, Francesco d'Assisi; – 3 October 1226), was a mystic Italian Catholic friar, founder of the Franciscans, and one of the most venerated figures in Christianit ...
), was self-published in his third collection simply entitled ''Birthday'' (1953).
In late 1953 Webb returned to England. On his trip to England he made a stopover in
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
, the inspiration for such poems as 'Song of Hunger' and 'Back Street in Calcutta'. But once in England he was confined at a number of asylums over a period of seven years. During this time he wrote many of the poems, including 'Eyre All Alone', which would comprise his fourth collection ''Socrates and other poems'', eventually published in 1961.
Following a Commonwealth Literary Fund Fellowship, in 1958, and with the support of Douglas Stewart and other concerned Australian poets such as
Rosemary Dobson,
David Campbell and
Vincent Buckley
Vincent Thomas Buckley (8 July 1925 – 12 November 1988) was an Australian poet, teacher, editor, essayist and critic.
Life
Buckley was born in 1925 in Romsey, Victoria to Patrick Buckley, a carter and sometime farm labourer, and his wife Fran ...
), his supervised release from David Rice Hospital (
Norwich
Norwich () is a cathedral city and district of Norfolk, England, of which it is the county town. Norwich is by the River Wensum, about north-east of London, north of Ipswich and east of Peterborough. As the seat of the See of Norwich, with ...
) was organised. His passport was returned to him and he came home to Australia in late 1960.
His paternal grandmother died shortly after his return.
Webb spent the rest of his life in and out of New South Wales and Victorian psychiatric facilities. In 1964, Angus & Robertson published his fifth collection ''The Ghost of the Cock'', then in 1969 released his well-known ''Collected Poems'', with an unforgettable foreword by
Sir Herbert Read
Sir Herbert Edward Read, (; 4 December 1893 – 12 June 1968) was an English art historian, poet, literary critic and philosopher, best known for numerous books on art, which included influential volumes on the role of art in education. Read ...
(the eminent leading British critic in his day) that compared Webb's work on equal footing with that of major European and American poets
Pasternak,
Lowell,
Rilke
René Karl Wilhelm Johann Josef Maria Rilke (4 December 1875 – 29 December 1926), shortened to Rainer Maria Rilke (), was an Austrian poet and novelist. He has been acclaimed as an idiosyncratic and expressive poet, and is widely recogni ...
and
Eliot.
After the publication of ''The Ghost of the Cock'' in 1964, Webb wrote eight substantial poems (two of which appear in ''Collected Poems'' while the rest can be found in the recent selection of his work in the online Australian literary journal ''Thylazine''). In 1967, Webb was praised by Read as "one of the greatest poets of our time . . . one of the most unjustly neglected poets of the century," and Webb has since attracted substantial critical acclaim for his profound vision, his unique spiritual quest to discover the heart of things.
Webb died on 23 November 1973 in Sydney's Rydalmere Psychiatric Hospital of a coronary occlusion.
He is buried at
Macquarie Park Cemetery in northern Sydney, with 'Sunset Hails a Rising' from his poem 'The Stations' upon his headstone.
In 2011, University of Western Australia Publishing released the most inclusive and error-free edition of Webb's ''Collected Poems'' to date, edited with notes by Toby Davidson from
Macquarie University
Macquarie University ( ) is a public research university based in Sydney, Australia, in the suburb of Macquarie Park. Founded in 1964 by the New South Wales Government, it was the third university to be established in the metropolitan area of S ...
.
Awards
* 1973 –
Australian Literature Society Gold Medal
The Australian Literature Society Gold Medal (ALS Gold Medal) is awarded annually by the Association for the Study of Australian Literature for "an outstanding literary work in the preceding calendar year." From 1928 to 1974 it was awarded by the ...
*
Christopher Brennan Award
The Christopher Brennan Award (formerly known as the Robert Frost Prize) is an Australian award given for lifetime achievement in poetry. The award, established in 1973, takes the form of a bronze plaque which is presented to a poet who produces w ...
, awarded posthumously
Works by Francis Webb
* ''
A Drum for Ben Boyd'' (1948)
* ''Leichhardt in Theatre'' (1952)
* ''Birthday'' (1953)
* ''Socrates and other Poems'' (1961)
* ''Ghost of the Cock'' (1964)
* ''Collected Poems'' (1969; 1977)
* ''Poets on Record (Australian Poets Read from their Own Work)'' (1975)
* ''The Poetry of Francis Webb'' (1991)
* ''Collected Poems'' (edited by Toby Davidson) (2011)
Notes
References
*
External links
'Destroy Kansas to Reveal Oz: from John Ashbery to Francis Webb'by John Hawke
''Cordite Poetry Review''at Thylazine
Francis Webb: Poet and Brother. Some of His Letters and Poetry Peter and Leonie Meere.
Accessed: 25 July 2007
*
ttp://www.literarynorfolk.co.uk/images/francis%20webb.jpg Photo of Francis Webb, by photographer unknown, year unknown
Other resources
* Patricia Excel "'Before Two Girls': A Lost Poem by Francis Webb" in ''Southerly'' Vol. 53, No. 3, 1993.
* Michael Griffith ''God's Fool: The Life and Poetry of Francis Webb'' Sydney: Angus & Robertson, 1991.
* Richard Hillman ''Cultural Metamorphosis: Lacan, Zizek and the Poetry of Francis Webb'' doctoral thesis, Flinders University of South Australia, 2004
* Graeme Kinross-Smith "The Gull in a Green Storm – A Profile of Francis Webb (1925–1973)" in ''Westerly'' Vol. 26, No. 2, 1981.
* Andrew Lynch "Remaking the Middle Ages in Australia: Francis Webb's 'The Canticle' (1953)" in ''Australian Literary Studies'' Vol. 19, No. 1, 1999.
* Peter Meere & Leonie Meere ''Francis Webb: Poet and Brother'' Pomona, Queensland
Sage Old Books 2001.
* Francis Webb 'Palace of Dreams' in ''The Bulletin'' 1942.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Webb, Francis
1925 births
1973 deaths
20th-century Australian poets
Australian male poets
ALS Gold Medal winners
20th-century Australian male writers
People educated at St Pius X College, Sydney