| AdminHistory | John Edward Masefield [1878-1967] was a poet, novelist, and Poet Laureate. He was educated at Warwick School and HMS Conway in Liverpool, to train as an officer in the merchant marine. Masefield sailed for Chile in 1894, before jumping ship in New York. There he worked as a barman and later at a carpet factory, before his return to England in 1897. Masefield began to write while working as a clerk, and shortly after met fellow writer WB Yeates, who became his literary companion. He became a full-time writer in 1901, and published his poetry collection 'Salt Water Ballads' in 1902. Masefield went on to publish poetry such as 'Ballads', 'The Everlasting Mercy', 'Dauber' and 'Reynard the Fox'.
During the First World War, he worked briefly as an orderly at a hospital in France, before embarking on a three month lecture tour in the United States. On his return Masefield wrote 'Gallipoli', an account of allied efforts in the Dardanelles, in consultation with the British Foreign Office. He travelled back to the United States in 1918 for a further series of lectures, and was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Letters by both Harvard and Yale universities.
Between 1918 and 1939 Masefield published 12 novels, including ' Lost Endeavour', 'The Bird of Dawning' and 'Dead Ned' and plays such as 'The Coming of Christ'. He was appointed Poet Laureate in 1930, a post he held for 37 years, and also received the Order of Merit from King George V. In 1937 Masefield was elected President of the Society of Authors, and served as president of the National Book League from 1944-1949. |