Robert William Victor Gittings

CBE The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...

(1 February 1911 – 18 February 1992), was an English writer, biographer,

BBC Radio BBC Radio is an operational business division and service of the British Broadcasting Corporation (which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a royal charter since 1927). The service provides national radio stations covering th ...

producer, playwright and poet. In 1978, he was awarded the

James Tait Black Memorial Prize The James Tait Black Memorial Prizes are literary prizes awarded for literature written in the English language. They, along with the Hawthornden Prize, are Britain's oldest literary awards. Based at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland, Unit ...

for ''The Older Hardy''.

Early life

Born at

Southsea Southsea is a seaside resort and a geographic area of Portsmouth, Portsea Island in England. Southsea is located 1.8 miles (2.8 km) to the south of Portsmouth's inner city-centre. Southsea is not a separate town as all of Portsea Island's s ...

, the son of Surgeon-Captain Fred Claude Bromley Gittings and his wife Dora Mary, née Brayshaw, the young Gittings was educated at

St Edward's School, Oxford St Edward's School is a public school (English independent day and boarding school) in Oxford, England. It is known informally as 'Teddies'. Approximately sixty pupils live in each of its thirteen houses. The school is a member of the Rugby G ...

, where he was taught by George Mallaby, and

Jesus College, Cambridge Jesus College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. The college's full name is The College of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Saint John the Evangelist and the glorious Virgin Saint Radegund, near Cambridge. Its common name comes fr ...

, where he arrived in 1930 with a scholarship, gaining a First in 1933.Tolley, G., ''Gittings, Robert William Victor (1911–1992), poet and writer'' in ''

Oxford Dictionary of National Biography The ''Dictionary of National Biography'' (''DNB'') is a standard work of reference on notable figures from British history, published since 1885. The updated ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'' (''ODNB'') was published on 23 September ...

'
online version
(subscription required), accessed 10 August 2008 He later wrote the article on George Mallaby in the ''

''. While still at school he published poems and thus encountered

Christopher Fry Christopher Fry (18 December 1907 – 30 June 2005) was an English poet and playwright. He is best known for his verse dramas, especially ''The Lady's Not for Burning'', which made him a major force in theatre in the 1940s and 1950s. Biograph ...

, a lifelong friend. At the

University of Cambridge , mottoeng = Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts. Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge. , established = , other_name = The Chancellor, Masters and Schola ...

, he was encouraged by

Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch Sir Arthur Thomas Quiller-Couch (; 21 November 186312 May 1944) was a British writer who published using the pseudonym Q. Although a prolific novelist, he is remembered mainly for the monumental publication '' The Oxford Book of English Verse 1 ...

, editor of the ''

Oxford Book of English Verse ''The Oxford Book of English Verse, 1250–1900'' is an anthology of English poetry, edited by Arthur Quiller-Couch, that had a very substantial influence on popular taste and perception of poetry for at least a generation. It was published by ...

'', whose rooms in college were near his, and in 1931 he was awarded the

Chancellor's gold medal The Chancellor's Gold Medal is a prestigious annual award at Cambridge University for poetry, paralleling Oxford University's Newdigate Prize. It was first presented by Prince William Frederick, Duke of Gloucester and Edinburgh during his time as ...

for English verse.

Career

In 1933, Gittings was elected a research fellow of Jesus College and became a history supervisor in 1938. In 1940. he took a job with

as a producer and writer, remaining with the Corporation twenty-three years. He made broadcasts for schools, dramatizations of history and literary programmes, and contributed to radio programmes such as ''Poets and Poetry'', ''World History Series'', ''Poetry Now'', and ''The World of Books''. He continued to write verse, and his first major book, ''Wentworth Place'' (1950), was well reviewed. History and poetry combined in him into the ability to bring the past to life. In all, he published twelve volumes of poetry. In 1954, his biography ''John Keats: the Living Year'' was published, to be followed in 1956 by ''The Mask of Keats'', and in 1960 by ''Shakespeare's Rival''. He left the BBC in 1964. His ''John Keats'' (1969) was awarded the

WH Smith Literary Award The WH Smith Literary Award was an award founded in 1959 by British high street retailer W H Smith. Its founding aim was stated to be to "encourage and bring international esteem to authors of the British Commonwealth"; originally open to all res ...

, and he also wrote scholarly studies of

Thomas Hardy Thomas Hardy (2 June 1840 – 11 January 1928) was an English novelist and poet. A Victorian realist in the tradition of George Eliot, he was influenced both in his novels and in his poetry by Romanticism, including the poetry of William Word ...

: ''The Young Thomas Hardy'' (1975), ''The Older Hardy'' (1978, awarded the

) and (with his wife, Jo Manton) ''The Second Mrs Hardy'' (1979). As a playwright, Gittings naturally specialized in radio drama, but he also wrote plays for

Women's Institute The Women's Institute (WI) is a community-based organisation for women in the United Kingdom, Canada, South Africa and New Zealand. The movement was founded in Stoney Creek, Ontario, Canada, by Erland and Janet Lee with Adelaide Hoodless being th ...

s, ''This Tower my Prison'' (1961) and ''Conflict at Canterbury'' (1970) for the

Canterbury Festival The Canterbury Festival is Kent's international festival of the arts. It takes place in Canterbury (England) and surrounding towns and villages (including Faversham, Whitstable and Margate) each October/November and includes performances of a vari ...

. ''Introducing Thomas Hardy'', a double act with

Frances Horovitz Frances Margaret Horovitz ( Hooker; 13 February 1938 – 2 October 1983) was an English poet and broadcaster. Life and work Frances Margaret Hooker (who adopted and wrote under the surname of her first husband, Michael Horovitz) was born in W ...

, was performed from 1971 until 1978, when Horovitz died. With Jo Manton, he wrote ''Dorothy Wordsworth'' (1985) and the same year published his last book of verse, ''People, Places, Personal''. His last book, ''

Claire Clairmont Clara Mary Jane Clairmont (27 April 1798 – 19 March 1879), or Claire Clairmont as she was commonly known, was the stepsister of the writer Mary Shelley and the mother of Lord Byron's daughter Allegra. She is thought to be the subject of a poe ...

and the Shelleys'', was printed a few days before his death.

Private life

In 1934, Gittings married Katherine Edith Cambell, a Cambridge contemporary who had been at

Girton College Girton College is one of the Colleges of the University of Cambridge, 31 constituent colleges of the University of Cambridge. The college was established in 1869 by Emily Davies and Barbara Bodichon as the first women's college in Cambridge. In 1 ...

and was known as Kay, and they had two sons, called Robert and John, together, but this marriage ended in divorce. In 1949, he married secondly Joan Greville Manton, called Jo, who was a BBC colleague and also a biographer. They had one daughter. He had five great-grandsons, Robert 'swole' Gittings, Oliver, Henry, Harry and Mark, and four great-granddaughters, Lucy, Sarah, Siobhan and Rebecca. A tall man, Gittings had a high forehead and bald head, a warm personality and a fine sense of humour. He played several sports, including

cricket Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by striki ...

squash Squash may refer to: Sports * Squash (sport), the high-speed racquet sport also known as squash racquets * Squash (professional wrestling), an extremely one-sided match in professional wrestling * Squash tennis, a game similar to squash but pla ...

real tennis Real tennis – one of several games sometimes called "the sport of kings" – is the original racquet sport from which the modern game of tennis (also called "lawn tennis") is derived. It is also known as court tennis in the United Sta ...

, and golf, and was still playing cricket in his seventies. He died at

Chichester Chichester () is a cathedral city and civil parish in West Sussex, England.OS Explorer map 120: Chichester, South Harting and Selsey Scale: 1:25 000. Publisher:Ordnance Survey – Southampton B2 edition. Publishing Date:2009. It is the only ci ...

on 18 February 1992, and was

cremated Cremation is a method of final disposition of a dead body through burning. Cremation may serve as a funeral or post-funeral rite and as an alternative to burial. In some countries, including India and Nepal, cremation on an open-air pyre i ...

Honours

*Commander of the

Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established ...

, 1970. *Honorary

DLitt Doctor of Letters (D.Litt., Litt.D., Latin: ' or ') is a terminal degree in the humanities that, depending on the country, is a higher doctorate after the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree or equivalent to a higher doctorate, such as the Doctor ...

, 1970. *Honorary fellow of

, 1979. *Honorary LittD,

University of Leeds , mottoeng = And knowledge will be increased , established = 1831 – Leeds School of Medicine1874 – Yorkshire College of Science1884 - Yorkshire College1887 – affiliated to the federal Victoria University1904 – University of Leeds , ...

, 1981.

Selected publications

*''Wentworth Place'' (1950), *''John Keats: The Living Year, 21 September 1818 to 21 September 1819'' (London: Heinemann, 1954) *''The Mask of Keats'' (1956) *''Shakespeare's Rival'' (1960) *''This Tower my Prison'' (1961) *''John Keats'' (1969) *''Conflict at Canterbury'' (1970) *''American Journey: Twenty-five sonnets'' (1972) *''The Young Thomas Hardy'' (1975) *''The Older Hardy'' (1978)awarded the

*(with Jo Manton) ''The Second Mrs Hardy'' (1979) *(with Jo Manton) ''Dorothy Wordsworth'' (Clarendon Press, 1985, ) *''People, Places, Personal'' (1985) *''Claire Clairmont and the Shelleys'' (Oxford:

Oxford University Press Oxford University Press (OUP) is the university press of the University of Oxford. It is the largest university press in the world, and its printing history dates back to the 1480s. Having been officially granted the legal right to print books ...

, 1992, )

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gittings, Robert William Victor 1911 births 1992 deaths Alumni of Jesus College, Cambridge Commanders of the Order of the British Empire English biographers Fellows of Jesus College, Cambridge People educated at St Edward's School, Oxford British radio producers James Tait Black Memorial Prize recipients 20th-century English poets 20th-century English dramatists and playwrights 20th-century biographers English male dramatists and playwrights English male poets 20th-century English male writers English male non-fiction writers Male biographers