John Betjeman facts for kids

John Betjeman
John Betjeman
	Betjeman in 1961
Born	John Betjemann; 28 August 1906; Parliament Hill Mansions, Lissenden Gardens, Gospel Oak, London, England
Died	19 May 1984 (aged 77); Trebetherick, Cornwall, England
Occupation	Poet, writer, broadcaster
Nationality	British
Alma mater	Magdalen College, Oxford
Notable work(s)	Poetry Mount Zion (1931); Prose Ghastly Good Taste (1933)

Sir John Betjeman (28 August 1906 – 19 May 1984) was an English poet, writer, and broadcaster who described himself in Who's Who as a "poet and hack". He was Poet Laureate of the United Kingdom from 1972 until his death.

He was a founding member of the Victorian Society and a passionate defender of Victorian architecture. He began his career as a journalist and ended it as one of the most popular British Poets Laureate and a much-loved figure on British television.

Life

John Betjeman Plaque

Betjeman was born in Highgate, London. He studied at Magdalen College, Oxford. In 1933 he married Penelope Chetwode; they separated in the late 1940s. The couple's son was born in 1937, their daughter in 1942. Betjeman's partner from 1951 until his death was Lady Elizabeth Cavendish.

Betjeman died of Parkinson's disease in Trebetherick, Cornwall. He was replaced as Poet Laureate by Ted Hughes. Betjeman was also known as an architectural critic. He is buried at St Enodoc in Cornwall.

Awards and honours

1960 Queen's Medal for Poetry
1960 Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE)
1968 Companion of Literature, the Royal Society of Literature
1969 Knight Bachelor
1972 Poet Laureate
1973 Honorary Member, the American Academy of Arts and Letters
2011 Honoured by the University of Oxford, his alma mater, as one of its 100 most distinguished members from ten centuries

Images for kids

The John Betjeman Centre Memorabilia Room showing the office from his home in Trebetherick
Betjeman's house on Cloth Fair in the City of London
John Betjeman's grave
Betjeman Statue at St Pancras
John Betjeman reads William Horton's Petition to Save Lewisham Town Hall 1961
John Betjeman plaque in Connaught Gardens with one of his poems