Ernest George Retallack Hooper (1906–1998), also known by his

bardic name A bardic name (, ) is a pseudonym used in Wales, Cornwall, or Brittany by poets and other artists, especially those involved in the eisteddfod movement. The Welsh language, Welsh term bardd ('poet') originally referred to the Welsh poets of the M ...

Talek (broad-bowed), was a British writer and journalist from

St. Agnes Agnes of Rome (21 January 304) is a virgin martyr, venerated as a saint in the Catholic Church, Oriental Orthodox Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church, as well as the Anglican Communion and Lutheran Churches. She is one of several virgin marty ...

. Hooper was taught the

Cornish language Cornish (Standard Written Form: or , ) is a Southwestern Brittonic language, Southwestern Brittonic language of the Celtic language family. Along with Welsh language, Welsh and Breton language, Breton, Cornish descends from Common Brittonic, ...

from A.S.D. Smith (Caradar). He qualified in horticulture at

Kew Kew () is a district in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. Its population at the 2011 census was 11,436. Kew is the location of the Royal Botanic Gardens ("Kew Gardens"), now a World Heritage Site, which includes Kew Palace. Kew is ...

and became a bard in 1932.E. G. Retallack Hooper
In the 1930s, he was one of the more political members of Tyr ha Tavas, a youth movement formed to promote the Cornish language. During the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, Hooper was based in

Gibraltar Gibraltar ( , ) is a British Overseas Territories, British Overseas Territory and British overseas cities, city located at the southern tip of the Iberian Peninsula, on the Bay of Gibraltar, near the exit of the Mediterranean Sea into the A ...

. He was encouraged by his wife to enter teaching in the post-war period, during which he ran the Mount Pleasant House School in Camborne, where he pioneered the teaching of the Cornish language and was featured on BBC's Tonight programme, interviewed by Alan Whicker. Two additional schools were opened - one at Wendron and another, Brandon College, in Truro. Hooper became the third Grand Bard of the

Gorseth Kernow Gorsedh Kernow (Cornish Gorsedd) is a non-political Cornish organisation, based in Cornwall, United Kingdom, which exists to maintain the national Celtic spirit of Cornwall. It is based on the Welsh-based Gorsedd, which was founded by Iolo Mo ...

, serving from 1959 to 1964. During his time as Grand Bard, Hooper maintained close links with the

Gorseddau Gorsedd (plural Gorseddau) normally refers to: * Gorsedd Cymru, community of Welsh bards It may also refer to: * Goursez Vreizh, community of Breton bards * Gorsedh Kernow Gorsedh Kernow (Cornish Gorsedd) is a non-political Cornish organisa ...

Wales Wales ( ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the England–Wales border, east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic ...

and

Brittany Brittany ( ) is a peninsula, historical country and cultural area in the north-west of modern France, covering the western part of what was known as Armorica in Roman Gaul. It became an Kingdom of Brittany, independent kingdom and then a Duch ...

and he was a member of both. Hooper was a founding member of

Mebyon Kernow Mebyon Kernow – The Party for Cornwall (, MK; Cornish language, Cornish for ''Sons of Cornwall'') is a Cornish nationalism, Cornish nationalist, Left-wing politics, centre-left political party in Cornwall, in southwestern Britain. It currentl ...

, a Cornish nationalist party, in 1951 and he participated in its election campaigns during the 1960s; he was elected the party's honorary president in 1973. For 17 years, Hooper edited the Cornish language newsletter ''An Lef Kernewek'' (The Cornish Voice). He produced a Cornish language revised translation of St Mark’s Gospel in 1960, and a translation of St Luke's Gospel in 1989.

References

External links

List of Grand Bards
* Retallack Hooper
Photo
1906 births 1998 deaths People from St Agnes, Cornwall Grand Bards of Gorsedh Kernow Bards of Gorsedh Kernow Writers from Cornwall Cornish language Cornish-speaking people Cornish nationalists Translators of the Bible into Cornish Mebyon Kernow politicians 20th-century British translators 20th-century English writers {{cornwall-stub