Charles Henry Hobday (9 September 1917 – 2 March 2005) was an English poet. He was a member of the Communist Party Historians Group as well as an editor of the 1940s communist cultural magazine Our Time.
LifeEdit
Hobday was born in Eastbourne, East Sussex in 1917. His father was a soldier, and died six months before he was born. After attending the local grammar school, Hobday received a scholarship to the Queen Mary University of London, where he took a first-class degree in history and English. During his studies he became aware of the immense poverty in the city, and joined the Communist Party in 1938.[1]
Hobday spent the Second World War obtaining a master's degree in Cambridge, and did not serve in the military on medical grounds.[2] At this point, his first poems were published in Our Time, a communist literary journal. The journal was edited by Edgell Rickword, who Hobday would later go on to write a biography about in 1989.
After Our Time folded in 1949, Hobday moved to Bristol to work for Keesing's Contemporary Archive.[2] In 1950, he married Inez Gwendolen Beeching. Over the course of the next decade, he became involved in a campaign to democratise the Communist Party, but left in 1957 after the Soviet invasion of Hungary.[1] From the 1960s onward Hobday became more engaged in writing poetry, and less involved in the communist politics of his youth.[1]
In January 1973, Inez Gwendolen Beeching died. Hobday married Helen Strauss, his second and last wife, in 1983.[2] In retirement Hobday wrote many of his most remembered works, including the biography Edgell Rickword (1989); a survey of English poets in Florence, A golden ring (1997); and Elegy for a sergeant (2002), a poem in memory of his uncle who died in the First World War. In 1979, Hobday published the classic essay, "Clouted Soon and Leather Aprons: Shakespear and the Egalitarian Tradition."
While he left the communist party in the 1950s, Hobday remained a socialist and became a member of the Labour Party. However, after the Labour party supported the invasion of Iraq, Hobday left this party too.[1]
Charles Hobday died in 2005, aged 87.
WorksEdit
The return of Cain (1974)
Titterstone Clee: A poem (1975)
A Wreath for Inez (1976)
"Clouted Shoon and Leather Aprons: Shakespeare and the Egalitarian Tradition," Renaissance and Modern Studies 23 (1979): 63-78.
Communist and Marxist parties of the World (1986)
Edgell Rickword (1989)
A golden ring (1997)
How Goes the Enemy (2000)
Elegy for a sergeant (2002)
ReferencesEdit
^ abcdBeake, Fred (2005-03-16). "Obituary: Charles Hobday". The Guardian. Retrieved 2018-10-03.
^ abc"Charles Hobday". The Independent. Retrieved 2018-10-03.
September 01, 2023
charles, hobday, charles, henry, hobday, september, 1917, march, 2005, english, poet, member, communist, party, historians, group, well, editor, 1940s, communist, cultural, magazine, time, life, edithobday, born, eastbourne, east, sussex, 1917, father, soldier. Charles Henry Hobday 9 September 1917 2 March 2005 was an English poet He was a member of the Communist Party Historians Group as well as an editor of the 1940s communist cultural magazine Our Time Life EditHobday was born in Eastbourne East Sussex in 1917 His father was a soldier and died six months before he was born After attending the local grammar school Hobday received a scholarship to the Queen Mary University of London where he took a first class degree in history and English During his studies he became aware of the immense poverty in the city and joined the Communist Party in 1938 1 Hobday spent the Second World War obtaining a master s degree in Cambridge and did not serve in the military on medical grounds 2 At this point his first poems were published in Our Time a communist literary journal The journal was edited by Edgell Rickword who Hobday would later go on to write a biography about in 1989 After Our Time folded in 1949 Hobday moved to Bristol to work for Keesing s Contemporary Archive 2 In 1950 he married Inez Gwendolen Beeching Over the course of the next decade he became involved in a campaign to democratise the Communist Party but left in 1957 after the Soviet invasion of Hungary 1 From the 1960s onward Hobday became more engaged in writing poetry and less involved in the communist politics of his youth 1 In January 1973 Inez Gwendolen Beeching died Hobday married Helen Strauss his second and last wife in 1983 2 In retirement Hobday wrote many of his most remembered works including the biography Edgell Rickword 1989 a survey of English poets in Florence A golden ring 1997 and Elegy for a sergeant 2002 a poem in memory of his uncle who died in the First World War In 1979 Hobday published the classic essay Clouted Soon and Leather Aprons Shakespear and the Egalitarian Tradition While he left the communist party in the 1950s Hobday remained a socialist and became a member of the Labour Party However after the Labour party supported the invasion of Iraq Hobday left this party too 1 Charles Hobday died in 2005 aged 87 Works EditThe return of Cain 1974 Titterstone Clee A poem 1975 A Wreath for Inez 1976 Clouted Shoon and Leather Aprons Shakespeare and the Egalitarian Tradition Renaissance and Modern Studies 23 1979 63 78 Communist and Marxist parties of the World 1986 Edgell Rickword 1989 A golden ring 1997 How Goes the Enemy 2000 Elegy for a sergeant 2002 References Edit a b c d Beake Fred 2005 03 16 Obituary Charles Hobday The Guardian Retrieved 2018 10 03 a b c Charles Hobday The Independent Retrieved 2018 10 03 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Charles Hobday amp oldid 1091052535, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
