P. J. Kavanagh
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P. J. Kavanagh
FRSL The Royal Society of Literature (RSL) is a learned society founded in 1820 by George IV of the United Kingdom, King George IV to "reward literary merit and excite literary talent". A charity that represents the voice of literature in the UK, the ...
(6 January 1931 – 26 August 2015) was an English poet, lecturer, actor, broadcaster and columnist. His father was the ''
ITMA ''It's That Man Again'' (commonly contracted to ''ITMA'') was a BBC radio comedy programme which ran for twelve series from 1939 to 1949. The shows featured Tommy Handley in the central role, a fast-talking figure, around whom the other ch ...
'' scriptwriter Ted Kavanagh.


Life

Patrick Joseph Gregory Kavanagh worked as a Butlin's Redcoat, then as a newsreader for Radiodiffusion Française, in Paris. He attended acting classes but was called up for
National Service National service is a system of compulsory or voluntary government service, usually military service. Conscription is mandatory national service. The term ''national service'' comes from the United Kingdom's National Service (Armed Forces) Act ...
, and was wounded in the
Korean War The Korean War (25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953) was an armed conflict on the Korean Peninsula fought between North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea; DPRK) and South Korea (Republic of Korea; ROK) and their allies. North Korea was s ...
. Kavanagh attended
Merton College, Oxford Merton College (in full: The House or College of Scholars of Merton in the University of Oxford) is a Colleges of the University of Oxford, constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. Its foundation can be traced back to the 126 ...
, from 1951 to 1954; there he began to write poetry, and met Caroline Sarah Jane Philipps, also known as Sally, the daughter of the novelist Rosamond Lehmann. Kavanagh due to his traumatic experience in Korea had a hard time taking the educational institution seriously, however, managed to pass the degree with second-class honours. He and Philipps wed in 1956 in the
London Oratory The London Oratory, officially the Congregation of the Oratory of St Philip Neri in London, is a Catholic community of priests living under the rule of life established by Philip Neri (1515–1595). It is located in an Oratory House, next to th ...
; two years later she died suddenly, of
poliomyelitis Poliomyelitis ( ), commonly shortened to polio, is an infectious disease caused by the poliovirus. Approximately 75% of cases are asymptomatic; mild symptoms which can occur include sore throat and fever; in a proportion of cases more severe ...
, while they were living in
Java Java is one of the Greater Sunda Islands in Indonesia. It is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the south and the Java Sea (a part of Pacific Ocean) to the north. With a population of 156.9 million people (including Madura) in mid 2024, proje ...
, where he was teaching for the
British Council The British Council is a British organisation specialising in international cultural and educational opportunities. It works in over 100 countries: promoting a wider knowledge of the United Kingdom and the English language (and the Welsh lang ...
. His memoir about their relationship, '' The Perfect Stranger'', won the Richard Hillary Memorial Prize after a long publishing battle, where Kavanagh's work got turned down by several publishers.


Career


Poetry and journalism

He published several volumes of poetry: ''One and One'' (1959), ''On the Way to the Depot'' (1967), ''About Time'' (1970), ''Edward Thomas in Heaven'' (1974), ''Life Before Death'' (1979) and ''An Enchantment'' (1991) and ''Something About'' (2004). There were collections: ''Selected Poems'', ''Presences: New and Selected Poems'', and ''Collected Poems''. In 1993 he was given the
Cholmondeley Award The Cholmondeley Awards ( ) are annual awards for poetry given by the Society of Authors in the United Kingdom. Awards honour distinguished poets, from a fund endowed by the Dowager Marchioness of Cholmondeley in 1966. Since 1991 the award has bee ...
for poetry. Kavanagh's first novel, ''A Song and a Dance'', was awarded the Guardian Fiction Prize; he wrote three further novels: ''A Happy Man'', ''People and Weather'', and ''Only by Mistake''; and two novels for children: ''Scarf Jack'' and ''Rebel for Good''. He published a collection of essays and articles ''People and Places: A Selection 1975–1987'', a travel autobiography ''Finding Connections'', and a literary companion ''Voices in Ireland''. He was a columnist for ''
The Spectator ''The Spectator'' is a weekly British political and cultural news magazine. It was first published in July 1828, making it the oldest surviving magazine in the world. ''The Spectator'' is politically conservative, and its principal subject a ...
'' from 1983 to 1996 and then for ''
The Times Literary Supplement ''The Times Literary Supplement'' (''TLS'') is a weekly literary review published in London by News UK, a subsidiary of News Corp. History The ''TLS'' first appeared in 1902 as a supplement to ''The Times'' but became a separate publication ...
'' until 2002. Most of his journalistic work was based on book and poetry reviews as well as his personal reflections and experience. He was editor of ''Collected Poems of
Ivor Gurney Ivor Bertie Gurney (28 August 1890 – 26 December 1937) was an English poet and composer, particularly of songs. He was born and raised in Gloucester. He suffered from bipolar disorder through much of his life and spent his last 15 years in psy ...
'', ''The Bodley Head G. K. Chesterton'', ''The Essential G. K. Chesterton'', ''The Oxford Book of Short Poems '' (with James Michie) and ''A Book of Consolations''. He co-presented the programmes ''Poetry Please'' on
BBC Radio 4 BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. The station replaced the BBC Home Service on 30 September 1967 and broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes from the BBC's headquarters at Broadcasti ...
and '' Not So Much a Programme'' on BBC1 TV alongside
David Frost Sir David Paradine Frost (7 April 1939 – 31 August 2013) was an English television host, journalist, comedian and writer. He rose to prominence during the satire boom in the United Kingdom when he was chosen to host the satirical programme ...
and
Willie Rushton William George Rushton (18 August 1937 – 11 December 1996) was an English cartoonist, comedian actor and satirist who co-founded the satirical magazine ''Private Eye''. Early life Rushton was born 18 August 1937 at 3 Wilbraham Place, Chelsea, ...
.


Acting

His acting roles included the films '' Masters of Venus'' (1962), '' Half Moon Street'' (1986) and '' Hidden Agenda'' (1990), and his television appearances include ''Journey Through Summer'', as the Nazi-memorabilia-collecting Father Seamus Fitzpatrick in the episode of ''
Father Ted ''Father Ted'' is a sitcom created by Irish writers Graham Linehan and Arthur Mathews (writer), Arthur Mathews and produced by British production company Hat Trick Productions for British television channel Channel 4. It aired over three seri ...
'', "Are You Right There, Father Ted?", and as the secret agent Sean Mortimer suffering from drug-induced amnesia in the episode " The Forget-Me-Knot" of the series '' The Avengers'', the last episode with Diana Rigg in the female leading role.


Kavanagh's Irish connections

Both his parents' relatives originated from Ireland; his father's family came from
County Carlow County Carlow ( ; ) is a Counties of Ireland, county located in the Southern Region, Ireland, Southern Region of Ireland, within the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster. Carlow is the List of Irish counties by area, second smallest and t ...
and his mother was thought to be born in
County Roscommon County Roscommon () is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is part of the province of Connacht and the Northern and Western Region. It is the List of Irish counties by area, 11th largest Irish county by area and Li ...
, but was brought up in Scotland. P.J. Kavanagh spoke for
RTÉ Radio 1 RTÉ Radio 1 () is an Irish national radio station owned and operated by RTÉ and is the direct descendant of Dublin radio station 2RN, which began broadcasting on a regular basis on 1 January 1926. The total budget for the station in 2010 w ...
in 2013 about his national identity: “Even at school I was always regarded as 'Irish. "I was supposed to be good at rugby because I was Irish", "It was an imprint". He wrote a travel biography ''Finding Connections'' (1990), where he uncovered his family roots, going back to his great-grandfather, Patrick, and taking on a journey to Australia, Tasmania and New Zealand. He also published a literary companion, ''Voices in Ireland'' (1994), about the country viewed through local literature. In 1995 he made an appearance on ''
Father Ted ''Father Ted'' is a sitcom created by Irish writers Graham Linehan and Arthur Mathews (writer), Arthur Mathews and produced by British production company Hat Trick Productions for British television channel Channel 4. It aired over three seri ...
'', a popular British sitcom following the lives of Irish priests, where he co-starred alongside actors like Dermot Morgan,
Ardal O'Hanlon Ardal O'Hanlon (; born 8 October 1965) is an Irish comedian, actor, and author. He played Father Dougal McGuire in ''Father Ted'' (1995–1998), George Sunday/Thermoman in ''My Hero (British TV series), My Hero'' (2000–2006), and DI Jack Moone ...
and Frank Kelly.


Connection to the Irish poet Patrick Kavanagh

P. J. Kavanagh considered himself a great admirer of the Irish poet,
Patrick Kavanagh Patrick Kavanagh (21 October 1904 – 30 November 1967) was an Irish poet and novelist. His best-known works include the novel ''Tarry Flynn'', and the poems "On Raglan Road" and "The Great Hunger". He is known for his accounts of Irish life th ...
. The men met twice, where at first encounter Patrick Kavanagh asked him why he would not change his name. From that moment on, Kavanagh started using the abbreviation 'P.J.' in his writing to avoid potential confusion.


''The Perfect Stranger''

Published in 1966, Kavanagh’s first major literary success and the most recognised work of Kavanagh’s legacy, '' The Perfect Stranger'', is an autobiographical novel about the mourning of his first wife, Sally. A memoir about marriage and the life after it, death and finding purpose, ''The Perfect Stranger'' also dealt with Kavanagh's sense of humour. During the process of writing ''The Perfect Stranger'', P.J. Kavanagh remarried and lived with his family in rural England in Gloucestershire, residing in a renovated stone bar with a cottage nearby, where the poet had his creative space and writing room.


Death

Kavanagh lived in
Gloucestershire Gloucestershire ( , ; abbreviated Glos.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by Herefordshire to the north-west, Worcestershire to the north, Warwickshire to the north-east, Oxfordshire ...
from 1963 until his death. He married his second wife, Catherine Ward, in 1965; they had two sons together.


Publications

*''One and One'', London: Heinemann, 1959. *''The Perfect Stranger'' (autobiography), London: Chatto and Windus, 1966. *''On the Way to the Depot'', London: Chatto & Windus/The Hogarth Press, 1967. *''A Song and a Dance'', 1968 *''About Time'', London: Chatto & Windus/The Hogarth Press, 1970. *''A Happy Man'', 1972. *''Edward Thomas in Heaven'', London: Chatto & Windus/The Hogarth Press, 1974. *''People and Weather'', London: John Calder, 1978. *''Scarf Jack'', 1978. *''Life Before Death'', London: Chatto & Windus/The Hogarth Press, 1979. *''Rebel for Good'', 1980. *''Collected Poems of
Ivor Gurney Ivor Bertie Gurney (28 August 1890 – 26 December 1937) was an English poet and composer, particularly of songs. He was born and raised in Gloucester. He suffered from bipolar disorder through much of his life and spent his last 15 years in psy ...
'' (editor), Oxford University Press, 1982 (paperback) *''The Oxford Book of Short Poems'' (co-editor with James Michie), Oxford University Press, 1985. *''The Bodley Head G. K. Chesterton'', (editor), 1985 *''Only by Mistake'', 1986. *''The Essential G. K. Chesterton'', (editor), 1987 *''People and Places: a selection 1975–1987'', 1988 *''Finding Connections'', 1990 *''An Enchantment'', Manchester: Carcanet, 1991. *''A Book of Consolations'', (editor), 1992 *''Collected Poems''. Manchester: Carcanet, 1995. *'' Voices in Ireland: A Traveller's Literary Companion'', John Murray, 1995. *''Something About'', Manchester: Carcanet, 2004. *P. J. Kavanagh Reading from his poems, The Poetry Archive 2005


Partial filmography

*'' Masters of Venus'' (1962) – Mike *'' Lawrence of Arabia'' (1962) – Staff Major – Murray's Aide (uncredited) *'' The Naked Brigade'' (1965) – Lt. Bentley *'' Half Moon Street'' (1986) – General Sir George Newhouse *'' Hidden Agenda'' (1990) – Alec Nevin


References


External links


PJ Kavanagh
at Poetry Archive *
Site that includes ''Voices in Ireland'' by PJ Kavanagh complete
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kavanagh, P. J. 1931 births 2015 deaths Alumni of Merton College, Oxford BBC Radio 4 presenters British Army personnel of the Korean War British Army soldiers English male poets English male television actors Fellows of the Royal Society of Literature Lehmann family Male actors from Worthing Military personnel from West Sussex People educated at Douai School