Geoffrey Phibbs facts for kids

Jeoffrey "Geoffrey" Basil Phibbs (1900–1956) was an Irish poet and writer. He was born in England but grew up in Ireland. Later in his life, he changed his name to Geoffrey Taylor, using his mother's maiden name. He became well-known for his poetry and for editing a famous Irish magazine.

Who Was Geoffrey Taylor?

Geoffrey Taylor was a talented poet and writer. He is remembered for his unique style and for helping other writers. He also played an important role in Irish literature during his time.

Early Life and Education

Geoffrey Phibbs was born in a place called Smallburgh in Norfolk, England, in 1900. Even though he was born in England, he spent most of his childhood growing up in Sligo, a beautiful county in Ireland. He later went back to England to study at a school called Haileybury.

His First Marriage and Early Writings

In 1924, Geoffrey Phibbs married an artist named Norah McGuinness. They later divorced in 1930.

Geoffrey also started publishing his poetry. One of his poetry books, The Withering of the Fig Leaf, was planned for release in 1927. However, he decided to pull it back because he worried it might upset some people. Another collection of his poems, called It Was Not Jones, was published in 1928. For this book, he used a secret name, or pseudonym, which was R. Fitzurse.

Later Life and Work

After his first marriage ended, Geoffrey Phibbs moved to London for a time. He later met Mary Dillwyn. In 1935, Geoffrey married Mary Dillwyn. In 1940, they moved back to Ireland, which was a special place to him.

In Ireland, Geoffrey became very active in the literary world. He was the literary editor for a well-known magazine called The Bell. This meant he was in charge of choosing and editing the poems and stories that appeared in the magazine. He made sure to include many poems from writers in Northern Ireland. He also gave a voice to new critics like Roy McFadden.

In 1944, he published a collection of poems called Irish Poems of Today. These poems were chosen from the first seven volumes of The Bell magazine. During this time, he also became good friends with another famous poet, John Betjeman. They worked together on several poetry collections.

Geoffrey Phibbs passed away in Dublin in 1956 from a heart attack. Some of his important writings and papers are kept safe in the Library of Trinity College in Dublin.