Poet and other parties to shun Oxford poetry professorship

Philip Larkin ruled himself out of consideration as the Oxford professor of poetry, according to an unpublished letter recently discovered in a college safe.

As Oxford graduates prepare to vote for the next incumbent this June, the archivist at St Hugh’s College in Oxford has stumbled across a letter from Larkin declining a nomination.

The letter, typed on Larkin’s letterhead at the University of Hull’s Brynmor Jones library, replies to a suggestion from the college’s then-principal, Rachel Trickett, that he should stand for the prestigious role. Larkin receives Trickett’s letter on 8 October 1968, and after “the luxury of a few minutes day-dreaming on the subject”, writes to dissuade her from putting his name forward.

The poet tells Trickett he is entirely “unfitted” for the role. “I have never considered literature in the abstract since that blessed day in 1943 when I laid down my pen in the Sheldonian Theatre and sauntered out into the sunshine, a free man; anything I have written since then has either been hack journalism or cries wrung from me by what I believe Gide calls the frightful contact with hideous reality,” writes one of the 20th century’s most beloved poets.

He adds that he has so far given just one lecture in his life – “I hated it, and a number of people walked out in the first few minutes” – before explaining that the increasing publicity which comes with the position makes him “quite unsuited” to the position.

“My idea of hell on earth (physical pain excepted, and I am not sure that it is excepted even in this case) is a literary party, and I have an uneasy feeling that the post carries with it a lot of sherry-drill with important people,” he writes, describing himself nonetheless as “deeply honoured” to be approached.

Larkin would go on to be nominated for the position, seen as the second most important in British poetry behind the laureateship, by former incumbent WH Auden, in 1972 – and to decline again. He also turned down the poet laureateship in 1984.

“There’s a letter from him declining the subsequent offer [which has been published], but this one is much more interesting,” said Peter McDonald, professor of English and related literature at St Hugh’s. “His description of life in Oxford is wonderful …. His description of his career as hack journalism, his dismissal of the rest of his writing – it’s extremely pithy and funny.”

In the wake of the revelation earlier this week that an apparently unpublished poem by Laekin released by the Times Literary supplement McDonald said there was “absolutely no doubt” the letter was by Larkin. “It’s on his letterhead, with his signature,” he said. “The authenticity is not in question.”

The discovery comes as the five candidates for this year’s position – Simon Armitage, Wole Soyinka, AE Stallings, Ian Gregson and Seán Haldane – face a vote by Oxford graduates to replace current incumbent Geoffrey Hill. Graduates must register to vote by 8 June,, with voting to run until 17 June.

McDonald is one of Soyinka’s nominators for the position – all candidates must be backed by at least 50 Oxford graduates – but said he thought that either Stallings or Armitage “would also bring something absolutely unique and important to the role … I think it’s a pretty open field and I would be happy if any of those three get it,” he said.