Clive Sansom facts for kids

Clive Sansom (born June 21, 1910 – died March 29, 1981) was a talented poet and playwright. He was born in England but later moved to Tasmania, an island in Australia. Clive was also a strong supporter of protecting nature. He even helped start the Tasmanian Wilderness Society.

Clive Sansom's Life and Work

Early Life and Studies

Clive Sansom was born in London, England. He went to Southgate County School. After school, he worked as a clerk and salesman for a company that made iron.

Later, he decided to study speech and drama. He attended the Regent Street Polytechnic and the London Speech Institute. He also learned about phonetics, which is the study of speech sounds, at University College London. Clive then taught speech training at different colleges.

Family and Beliefs

In 1937, Clive married Ruth Large, who was also a poet from Tasmania. They got married at a Quaker meeting house. Clive joined the Quakers, a religious group known for their peaceful beliefs.

During World War II, Clive was a conscientious objector. This means he believed it was wrong to fight in the war. Because of his beliefs, he chose not to join the army.

Moving to Tasmania and Protecting Nature

In 1949, Clive and Ruth moved to Tasmania. There, they both worked for the Tasmanian Education Department, helping with speech education.

Clive was very passionate about protecting the environment. He was a founding patron of the Tasmanian Wilderness Society. He often called himself "the oldest 'greenie' in the business." He worked hard to save the original Lake Pedder in Tasmania's south-west. He was very sad when the lake was flooded, even though there was a chance to save it.

His Writings

As a poet, Clive Sansom was well-known for his performance poetry. This means his poems were often read aloud or acted out. He also wrote many verses especially for children.

His most famous collection of poems is called The Witnesses. This book tells the story of Jesus of Nazareth from the viewpoint of people who knew him. The Witnesses won a poetry prize in 1950 and has been performed all over the world. Clive also wrote several plays and a novel called Passion Play.

Clive Sansom passed away in Hobart, Tasmania, in 1981.

External Resources

• Some poems by Clive Sansom: Retrieved 13 September 2011.
• The verse "Mary of Nazareth" from Sansom's collection The Witnesses: Retrieved 14 September 2011.
• "The Forbidden Room", from Return to Magic: Fairy-Tale Poems (1969).
• The catalogue of the Clive Sansom papers held at the University of Tasmania Library, with a short biography: Retrieved 13 September 2011.