John Boyd (1912–2002) was a Northern Irish teacher, radio producer, and playwright. Noted for his ability to reproduce the speech of working class

Belfast Belfast ( , ; from ga, Béal Feirste , meaning 'mouth of the sand-bank ford') is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast. It is the 12th-largest city in the United Kingdo ...

, he has been described as Northern Ireland's most important playwright, and encouraged the careers of other writers including

Seamus Heaney Seamus Justin Heaney (; 13 April 1939 – 30 August 2013) was an Irish poet, playwright and translator. He received the 1995 Nobel Prize in Literature.

and

Stewart Parker James Stewart Parker (20 October 1941 – 2 November 1988) was a Northern Irish poet and playwright. Biography He was born in Sydenham, Belfast, of a Protestant working-class family. His birthplace is marked by an Ulster History Circle blue ...

Early life and education

John Boyd was born 19 July 1912 in a working class area of east Belfast. He was the first child of three born to Robert Boyd, a steam engine

fireman A firefighter is a first responder and rescuer extensively trained in firefighting, primarily to extinguish hazardous fires that threaten life, property, and the environment as well as to rescue people and in some cases or jurisdictions also ...

and later a train driver, and Jane Boyd (née Leeman). Boyd attended Mountpottinger elementary school, and subsequently won a scholarship to the

Royal Belfast Academical Institution The Royal Belfast Academical Institution is an independent grammar school in Belfast, Northern Ireland. With the support of Belfast's leading reformers and democrats, it opened its doors in 1814. Until 1849, when it was superseded by what today is ...

. He later gained another scholarship, allowing him to attend

Queen's University Belfast , mottoeng = For so much, what shall we give back? , top_free_label = , top_free = , top_free_label1 = , top_free1 = , top_free_label2 = , top_free2 = , established = , closed = , type = Public research university , parent = ...

. A young Boyd was introduced by an uncle and aunt to theatre and the literature of the

labour movement The labour movement or labor movement consists of two main wings: the trade union movement (British English) or labor union movement (American English) on the one hand, and the political labour movement on the other. * The trade union movement ...

, which remained keystones of his life. On graduating, he worked for a short time in a factory in England, as a private tutor, and then in an educational establishment for unemployed youths in Belfast. Following his marriage, on 11 November 1939, to Elizabeth McCune (with whom he would have two sons and a daughter), he took a teaching job in

Lisburn Lisburn (; ) is a city in Northern Ireland. It is southwest of Belfast city centre, on the River Lagan, which forms the boundary between County Antrim and County Down. First laid out in the 17th century by English and Welsh settlers, with ...

Intermediate School. Boyd later completed an extramural B.Litt. through Trinity College Dublin, with a thesis on the work of

Forrest Reid Forrest Reid (born 24 June 1875, Belfast, Ireland; d. 4 January 1947, Warrenpoint, County Down, Northern Ireland) was an Irish novelist, literary critic and translator. He was, along with Hugh Walpole and J. M. Barrie, a leading pre-war novelist ...

, a Belfast writer whose Ulster literature inspired him.

Career

During the early 1940s, Boyd published a number of articles anonymously in the socialist and nationalist paper the ''Irish Democrat.'' In 1943, he co-founded a literary journal, ''Lagan,'' with his friend and fellow writer

Sam Hanna Bell Sam Hanna Bell (16 October 1909 – 9 February 1990) was a Scottish-born Northern Irish novelist, short story writer, playwright, and broadcaster. Bell was born in Glasgow to Ulster Scots parents. Following the sudden death of his father in ...

. Published between 1943–6, the journal hoped to foster the literature and culture of Northern Ireland. Boyd became a central figure in Belfast's cultural life, with a circle which included

Roy McFadden Roy McFadden (14 November 1921 – 15 September 1999) was a Northern Irish poet, editor, and lawyer. McFadden's first poem was published before he was thirteen. His earliest influences were from magazines and journals that his Father brought home, ...

W. R. Rodgers William Robert Rodgers (1909 – 1969), known as Bertie, and born in Belfast, Northern Ireland, was probably best known as a poet, but was also a prose essayist, a book reviewer, a radio broadcaster and script writer, a lecturer and, latterly, ...

Joseph Tomelty Joseph Tomelty (5 March 1911 – 7 June 1995) was an Irish actor, playwright, novelist, short-story writer and theatre manager. He worked in film, television, radio and on the stage. starring in Sam Thompson's 1960 play ''Over the Bridge''. ...

Michael McLaverty Michael McLaverty (5 July 1904 – 22 March 1992) was an Irish writer of novels and short stories.Frank O’Connor Frank O'Connor (born Michael Francis O'Donovan; 17 September 1903 – 10 March 1966) was an Irish author and translator. He wrote poetry (original and translations from Irish), dramatic works, memoirs, journalistic columns and features on a ...

, and St John Ervine. When, following the end of World War 2, the

BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...

...

Death and legacy

During his life, he had accumulated a large personal archive, much of which has been of great interest to literary and cultural historians. Notable items include a rare (possibly singular) recording of

Frank O'Connor Frank O'Connor (born Michael Francis O'Donovan; 17 September 1903 – 10 March 1966) was an Irish author and translator. He wrote poetry (original and translations from Irish), dramatic works, memoirs, journalistic columns and features on a ...

talking about his childhood, and an edition of

James Joyce James Augustine Aloysius Joyce (2 February 1882 – 13 January 1941) was an Irish novelist, poet, and literary critic. He contributed to the modernist avant-garde movement and is regarded as one of the most influential and important writers of ...

's ''

Ulysses Ulysses is one form of the Roman name for Odysseus, a hero in ancient Greek literature. Ulysses may also refer to: People * Ulysses (given name), including a list of people with this name Places in the United States * Ulysses, Kansas * Ulysse ...

,'' which Boyd had smuggled into Ireland to avoid its seizure by Irish customs officials as an obscene publication. Today, John Boyd is acknowledged as an influential Northern Irish figure, whose friendships and support transcended boundaries and 'locally constructed boxes'. He is perhaps best remembered for his autobiographical writings. Boyd's archive today forms part of the Northern Ireland Literary Archive, held by the

Linen Hall Library The Linen Hall Library is located at 17 Donegall Square North, Belfast, Northern Ireland. It is the oldest library in Belfast and the last subscribing library in Northern Ireland. The Library is physically in the centre of Belfast, and more g ...

, which describes him as "a key figure in the development of a literary culture in Northern Ireland." A commemorative gathering was held for Boyd at the Lyric Theatre in 2003. In 2008, an exhibition about Boyd's life and work was held at the Linen Hall Library.

Works

Plays

* ''The Flats'' (1974) * ''Collected Plays'', 2 vols. (1981; 1982)

Autobiography

* ''Out of My Class'' (1985) * ''The Middle of My Journey'' (1990)

Novel

* ''Across the Bitter Sea'' (2006)

External links

John Boyd
at the Northern Ireland Literary Archive
John Boyd
at Irish Playography

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Boyd, John 1912 births 2002 deaths Irish writers Male writers from Northern Ireland 20th-century writers from Northern Ireland Writers from Belfast People educated at the Royal Belfast Academical Institution People associated with Queen's University Belfast