Joan Barton (1908–1986) was an English poet and bookseller. She was born in

Bristol Bristol () is a city, ceremonial county and unitary authority in England. Situated on the River Avon, it is bordered by the ceremonial counties of Gloucestershire to the north and Somerset to the south. Bristol is the most populous city in ...

and studied at

Colston's Girls' School Montpelier High School (formerly Colston's Girls' School) is a girls secondary academy (English school), Academy, located in the Montpelier, Bristol, Montpelier area of Bristol, England. The school building was designed by William Venn Gough and ...

and

Bristol University , mottoeng = earningpromotes one's innate power (from Horace, ''Ode 4.4'') , established = 1595 – Merchant Venturers School1876 – University College, Bristol1909 – received royal charter , type ...

. While working in a bookstore in Bristol, and later running her own in

Marlborough Marlborough may refer to: Places United Kingdom * Marlborough, Wiltshire, England ** Marlborough College, public school * Marlborough School, Woodstock in Oxfordshire, England * The Marlborough Science Academy in Hertfordshire, England Austral ...

, she corresponded with a number of poets who responded positively to her poetry and encouraged her to seek publication; these included

John Betjeman Sir John Betjeman (; 28 August 190619 May 1984) was an English poet, writer, and broadcaster. He was Poet Laureate from 1972 until his death. He was a founding member of The Victorian Society and a passionate defender of Victorian architecture, ...

Walter de la Mare Walter John de la Mare (; 25 April 1873 – 22 June 1956) was an English poet, short story writer, and novelist. He is probably best remembered for his works for children, for his poem "The Listeners", and for a highly acclaimed selection of ...

and

Cecil Day-Lewis Cecil Day-Lewis (or Day Lewis; 27 April 1904 – 22 May 1972), often written as C. Day-Lewis, was an Irish-born British poet and Poet Laureate from 1968 until his death in 1972. He also wrote mystery stories under the pseudonym of Nicholas Bla ...

. A steadily increasing number of published poems led to her first collection, published when she was in her 60s; not long after, her poem "The Mistress" was included by

Philip Larkin Philip Arthur Larkin (9 August 1922 – 2 December 1985) was an English poet, novelist, and librarian. His first book of poetry, '' The North Ship'', was published in 1945, followed by two novels, '' Jill'' (1946) and '' A Girl in Winter'' (1 ...

in ''

The Oxford Book of Twentieth Century English Verse ''The Oxford Book of Twentieth Century English Verse'' is a poetry anthology edited by Philip Larkin. It was published in 1973 by Oxford University Press with . Larkin writes in the short preface that the selection is wide rather than deep; and a ...

''. In 1975, she was profiled by

Anne Stevenson Anne Stevenson (January 3, 1933 – September 14, 2020) was an American-British poet and writer and recipient of a Lannan Literary Award. Life Stevenson was the first daughter of Louise Destler Stevenson and philosopher Charles Stevenson and w ...

for the series ''The Living Poet'' on

BBC Radio 3 BBC Radio 3 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It replaced the BBC Third Programme in 1967 and broadcasts classical music and opera, with jazz, world music, Radio drama, drama, High culture, culture and the arts ...

. She published two more collections, including a chapbook in 1979.

Books

*''The Mistress and Other Poems.'' Hull: Sonus Press, 1972. *''Ten Poems.'' Salisbury: Perdix Press, 1979. *''A House Under Old Sarum: New and Selected Poems.'' Liskeard: Harry Chambers/Peterloo Poets, 1981.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Barton, Joan 1908 births 1986 deaths 20th-century English poets English women poets Writers from Bristol People educated at Montpelier High School, Bristol Alumni of the University of Bristol 20th-century English women 20th-century English people