Jeoffrey "Geoffrey" Basil Phibbs (1900–1956) was an English-born Irish poet; he took his mother's name and called himself Geoffrey Taylor, after about 1930. Phibbs was born in

Smallburgh Smallburgh is a village and a civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. The village is fourteen miles (21 km) south-east of Cromer, fourteen miles (21 km) north-east of Norwich and north-east of London. The village lies five miles ...

, Norfolk. He was brought up in

Sligo Sligo ( ; ga, Sligeach , meaning 'abounding in shells') is a coastal seaport and the county town of County Sligo, Ireland, within the western province of Connacht. With a population of approximately 20,000 in 2016, it is the List of urban areas ...

, and educated in England at Haileybury. In 1924 he married the artist Norah McGuinness, whom he divorced in 1930. Their marriage break-up was initially brought about by his involvement with the poet Laura Riding, The poetry collection ''The Withering of the Fig Leaf'' (1927) was to be published by the Hogarth Press. At the last moment Phibbs became concerned about perceived anti-Catholic sentiment in it, and asked Leonard Woolf to withdraw it. Another collection, ''It Was Not Jones'', was issued by Hogarth in 1928, but under the pseudonym R. Fitzurse. Riding's lover in 1928

Robert Graves Captain Robert von Ranke Graves (24 July 1895 – 7 December 1985) was a British poet, historical novelist and critic. His father was Alfred Perceval Graves, a celebrated Irish poet and figure in the Gaelic revival; they were both Celtic ...

visited Phibbs in

; in 1929 Phibbs came to London, and his arrival unbalanced the ''menage'' of Graves, his wife

Nancy Nicholson Annie "Nancy" Mary Pryde Nicholson (1899–1977) was an English painter and fabric designer. Early life Born Annie Mary Pryde Nicholson, she was the only daughter of the artists Sir William Nicholson and Mabel Pryde. She had three brothers, ar ...

and Laura Riding. There are many accounts, generally contested, of subsequent events. After some bitter wrangling, Graves and Riding lived together in Spain, and Phibbs set up house with Nicholson in Wiltshire. Phibbs and Norah McGuinness were divorced shortly afterwards. The relationship with Nancy Nicholson gradually came to an end, and it was she who introduced him to Mary Dillwyn, though she was upset when he began a relationship with Mary. In 1935 Phibbs married Mary Dillwyn, and in 1940 they returned to Ireland. He was subsequently known mostly for anthologies, and non-fiction writing. As literary editor of '' The Bell'', he gave significant space to poetry from Northern Ireland, and allowed

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, ...

a critical voice. His selection, ''Irish Poems of Today: Chosen from the First Seven Volumes of "The Bell"'', appeared in 1944. In the same period he met and struck up a strong friendship with

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, ...

; they worked on several poetry collections. Phibbs died in Dublin of a heart attack. Some of his literary papers survive in the Library of Trinity College, the University of Dublin.

Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Phibbs, Geoffrey 1900 births 1956 deaths 20th-century Irish poets 20th-century male writers Irish male poets People from North Norfolk (district) People from Sligo (town)