John Betjeman

Sir John Betjeman was an English poet, writer, and broadcaster, and served as Poet Laureate from 1972 until his death in 1984. He was a founding member of The Victorian Society and a passionate defender of Victorian architecture, helping to save St Pancras railway station from demolition. He began his career as a journalist and became a much-loved figure on British television. Betjeman's poetry is known for its nostalgia for the near past, its exact sense of place, and its precise rendering of social nuance. He utilized traditional poetic forms, wrote with a light touch about public issues, celebrated classic architecture, and satirized contemporary society for its superficiality. His work was accessible and often humorous, making him one of Britain's best-loved poets. His "Collected Poems" was a bestseller, and he was awarded the Queen's Gold Medal for Poetry in 1960.