Eric Mottram facts for kids

Eric Mottram (born December 29, 1924 – died January 16, 1995) was an important British teacher, writer, editor, and poet. He was a key person in a movement called the British Poetry Revival, which brought new energy and ideas to poetry in Britain.

Early Life and Education

Eric Mottram was born in London. He went to school at Purley Grammar School in Croydon and Blackpool Grammar School in Lancashire. In 1943, he won a scholarship to Pembroke College, Cambridge. However, he chose to join the Royal Navy first. After serving, he finally started his studies at Cambridge in 1947.

He graduated with excellent grades in 1950, earning a "Double First" in English Literature. He received his Master's degree in 1951. For the next ten years, Mottram traveled a lot. He worked as a lecturer in different countries, including Switzerland (at the University of Zurich, 1951–52), Singapore (at the University of Malaya, 1952–55), and the Netherlands (as a professor at the University of Groningen, 1955–60).

Working at King's College London

In 1960, Eric Mottram came back to London. He started working as a lecturer at King's College London, teaching English and American Literature. At that time, King's was one of the few universities in Britain that taught about American culture and literature. Mottram became a leader in this field.

He helped start the Institute of United States Studies in 1963. Later, in 1973, he became a "Reader" (a senior academic title). In 1982, a special position was created just for him, making him a professor. He retired in September 1990 and was given the title "Emeritus Professor," which means he kept his professor title even after retiring.

Mottram and the Beat Writers

In the early 1960s, Mottram traveled to the United States. There, he met many famous writers, including William Carlos Williams and Allen Ginsberg. He also became good friends with William Burroughs when Burroughs was in London.

These friendships led Mottram to write three of his most famous books about these authors:

• William Burroughs: the algebra of need (published in 1971)
• Allen Ginsberg in the Sixties (published in 1972)
• Paul Bowles: staticity & terror (published in 1976)

These books were very important. They helped introduce the "Beat Generation" writers to more people in Britain. The Beat Generation was a group of American writers who explored new ways of writing and thinking in the 1950s and 60s.

Mottram as a Poet

Eric Mottram's first book of poems, Inside the Whale, came out in 1970. It was published by Writers Forum, a small publisher run by Bob Cobbing. Mottram went on to publish at least 34 more collections of his poetry. Some of his well-known works include A Book of Herne: 1975–1981, Elegies (both from 1981), and Selected Poems (1989).

His poetry showed the influence of American avant-garde poets, who were experimental and tried new things. He used techniques like found poetry (using words from other sources), cut-up technique (rearranging text), and collage (combining different elements). However, his work also had a unique British style, similar to poets like Basil Bunting.

Mottram as an Editor

In 1971, Mottram became the editor of Poetry Review, a magazine published by the Poetry Society. For the next six years, he edited twenty issues of the magazine. He made sure to feature many of the important poets from the British Poetry Revival. He also reviewed books and magazines from smaller publishers that were printing new poetry.

Mottram also included poems by many American poets in Poetry Review. This was a new approach for the magazine. However, this focus on American poetry eventually led to him leaving his editor role.

During this time, Mottram was also a guest lecturer at Kent State University in the U.S. He was an early supporter of the band Devo and its founders, Gerald Casale and Bob Lewis. Mottram even published Bob Lewis's poetry in Poetry Review. He also edited The Rexroth Reader (1972) and a section of The New British Poetry anthology (1988), which focused on the poets of the Revival movement.

Later Life and Legacy

Eric Mottram passed away on January 16, 1995, in London.

His important writings and papers are now kept at the King's College London Archives. His student, Bill Griffiths, helped organize this collection. Mottram's work continues to be studied, and it shows his deep interest in old English poetry, especially from the medieval period.