Tom Paulin to give memorial lecture

Leading poet, lecturer and polemicist Tom Paulin will give this year’s George Jack Memorial Lecture in the University of St Andrews School of English tomorrow (Thurs 13 March 2003).

Paulin, a familiar face from his many appearances on BBC2’s Late Review, is fabled for his witty and unsparing critical commentary on books, films and all aspects of Britain’s cultural life. He is also a poet and academic commentator of international standing, with a famously acute ear and charismatic voice. Paulin is G.M. Young lecturer at Hertford College Oxford. His academic works include studies of Thomas Hardy, William Hazlitt, and Poetry and the Nation State; he is also a bestselling contemporary poet and editor of the Faber Book of Political Verse and of Vernacular Verse.

The subject of Tom Paulin’s lecture – to be held at 2pm in Kennedy Hall Room 1 in the School of English – will be ‘Sentence Sound: Robert Frost and Northern Irish Poetry’. At 5.15pm, in the same venue, he will be reading from and signing copies of his own most recent poetic works.

Professor Robert Crawford, Head of the School of English, described George Jack (1946-99), in whose honour the lecture is named, as ‘a gentle, much valued colleague. His meticulous editing of the Old English poem Beowulf for Oxford University Press has been of value to such translators as Seamus Heaney, who delivered the first George Jack Memorial Lecture in St Andrews in 1999. George knew many poets and scholars, including this year’s lecturer, Tom Paulin. The School is proud to host this lecture in George’s memory, and grateful for the continuing interest of his widow, Maureen Jack.’

The George Jack Memorial lecture forms part of the 2003 programme of The Poetry House, within the School of English. Other notable poetry events this semester include readings by the poets Susan Wheeler, Henry Shukman, and Paul Muldoon. Copies of the programme can be obtained from the School of English office. All members of the university and members of the public are welcome to attend.

ENDS

Issued by Beattie Media on behalf of the University of St Andrews For more information please contact: Claire Grainger on 01334 462530, 07730 415 015 or email cg24@st- andrews.ac.uk View University press releases on- line at http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk Ref: tompaulin/standrews/chg/12wed2003