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| Oliver Bernard, who has died aged 87, led a life of dazzling variety. While he is best known as a poet and translator of Rimbaud and Apollinaire, he earned his living in jobs unfamiliar to most writers. At the Number 4 Retort House of the South-Eastern Gas Board in Greenwich, south-east London, "a proper Satanic mill", he was a fireman: this was his favourite manual job, if dangerous, although he took great pleasure in a job repairing tramlines too. He also worked as a swineherd in Suffolk. To these occupations and a host of others he brought the same meticulous attention and confidence that he applied to his writing. "It is intensity and not duration that I know about," he said. He was also a consummate philanderer. | Oliver Bernard, who has died aged 87, led a life of dazzling variety. While he is best known as a poet and translator of Rimbaud and Apollinaire, he earned his living in jobs unfamiliar to most writers. At the Number 4 Retort House of the South-Eastern Gas Board in Greenwich, south-east London, "a proper Satanic mill", he was a fireman: this was his favourite manual job, if dangerous, although he took great pleasure in a job repairing tramlines too. He also worked as a swineherd in Suffolk. To these occupations and a host of others he brought the same meticulous attention and confidence that he applied to his writing. "It is intensity and not duration that I know about," he said. He was also a consummate philanderer. |
| Oliver was born to an upper-middle-class family who gravitated between the home counties, Chelsea and Kensington. His father, Oliver, was a highly respected architect and a stage designer; his mother, Dora, an actor and singer. After his father's early death, in 1938, Oliver and his younger brothers, Bruce and Jeffrey, attended many schools, the last of which, for Oliver, was Westminster; he left aged 15. | Oliver was born to an upper-middle-class family who gravitated between the home counties, Chelsea and Kensington. His father, Oliver, was a highly respected architect and a stage designer; his mother, Dora, an actor and singer. After his father's early death, in 1938, Oliver and his younger brothers, Bruce and Jeffrey, attended many schools, the last of which, for Oliver, was Westminster; he left aged 15. |
| Home life was unhappy, despite his deep love for his older sister and his brothers. Bruce went on to become a photographer and picture editor and Jeffrey was well known later for his Spectator column, Low Life. For them all in turn, Soho provided a homeland, a university village crowded with writers and painters. Oliver's memoir Getting Over It (1962) is an unmatched evocation of what is now known as the old Soho. | Home life was unhappy, despite his deep love for his older sister and his brothers. Bruce went on to become a photographer and picture editor and Jeffrey was well known later for his Spectator column, Low Life. For them all in turn, Soho provided a homeland, a university village crowded with writers and painters. Oliver's memoir Getting Over It (1962) is an unmatched evocation of what is now known as the old Soho. |
| In 1942, he joined the Communist party and went to work for the party's Central Books in London as a packer and distributor, and discovered the joys of public speaking at weekend rallies. He joined the Air Training Corps and was sent for further training to Canada. But, while planning bombing strategy in an isolated hut, he came upon Herbert Read's anthology The Knapsack, and for the first time found particular pleasure in poetry. | In 1942, he joined the Communist party and went to work for the party's Central Books in London as a packer and distributor, and discovered the joys of public speaking at weekend rallies. He joined the Air Training Corps and was sent for further training to Canada. But, while planning bombing strategy in an isolated hut, he came upon Herbert Read's anthology The Knapsack, and for the first time found particular pleasure in poetry. |
| Before he had any chance of active service, the war had ended, and in due course he was back in Soho. His enthusiasm for communism faded and he determined that writing must be his business. His pursuit of literature, music, especially jazz, film and painting introduced him to many lifelong friends on both sides of the Channel. | Before he had any chance of active service, the war had ended, and in due course he was back in Soho. His enthusiasm for communism faded and he determined that writing must be his business. His pursuit of literature, music, especially jazz, film and painting introduced him to many lifelong friends on both sides of the Channel. |
| He began to translate French poetry in Paris. As he said, the requirement for good translation is a profound knowledge of one's own language. Intermittently for several years he taught conversational English in Paris and in Corsica. In the 1950s he took a degree in teaching at Goldsmiths' College and married Veronica (Wendy) Humble, niece of the poet George Barker, who was one of his greatest friends and later became my husband. During this short-lived marriage he worked in the country and on the tramline job. | |
| Later, he went to work at Notley's Advertising in Mayfair, where one of his colleagues was William Trevor, the novelist. Oliver enjoyed working on the unpopular technical accounts, disdaining the potential dishonesty of consumerism. He won a prize for his advertisement for a "self-tapping screw". | Later, he went to work at Notley's Advertising in Mayfair, where one of his colleagues was William Trevor, the novelist. Oliver enjoyed working on the unpopular technical accounts, disdaining the potential dishonesty of consumerism. He won a prize for his advertisement for a "self-tapping screw". |
| In 1959 he married Jackie Guise, an actor and model. "This was the person," he said. Oliver's first book of poems, Country Matters, was published in 1961. He went on to publish several more books of poetry and translations of Rimbaud, Apollinaire and other French writers. His edition of Rimbaud's Collected Poems, published in 1962, became a classic. | In 1959 he married Jackie Guise, an actor and model. "This was the person," he said. Oliver's first book of poems, Country Matters, was published in 1961. He went on to publish several more books of poetry and translations of Rimbaud, Apollinaire and other French writers. His edition of Rimbaud's Collected Poems, published in 1962, became a classic. |
| Oliver and Jackie moved with their two young children to Norfolk, where the third was born. Oliver taught English and then became head of educational drama in the county. By now he had become a Christian and he spent a year dressed as a bishop, keeping vigil at Norwich Cathedral for Christian CND. In 1985 he became a Catholic and was involved in the Snowball campaign to cut the wire perimeter fences at airbases, in protest at the government's attitude to nuclear weapons. For this he was sent to prison for several weeks, emerging in a very good mood: "I felt grateful to just about everyone," he said. | Oliver and Jackie moved with their two young children to Norfolk, where the third was born. Oliver taught English and then became head of educational drama in the county. By now he had become a Christian and he spent a year dressed as a bishop, keeping vigil at Norwich Cathedral for Christian CND. In 1985 he became a Catholic and was involved in the Snowball campaign to cut the wire perimeter fences at airbases, in protest at the government's attitude to nuclear weapons. For this he was sent to prison for several weeks, emerging in a very good mood: "I felt grateful to just about everyone," he said. |
| Although he separated from Jackie, they remained on good terms. He became involved as a lay reader with the Carmelite Monastery at Quidenham, where the art critic Sister Wendy Beckett was a friend. He gave readings of his own poetry and his translations. He was a marvellous reader, who in 1982 had won the Poetry Society gold medal for verse speaking. | Although he separated from Jackie, they remained on good terms. He became involved as a lay reader with the Carmelite Monastery at Quidenham, where the art critic Sister Wendy Beckett was a friend. He gave readings of his own poetry and his translations. He was a marvellous reader, who in 1982 had won the Poetry Society gold medal for verse speaking. |
| Most summers he went on tour with his one-man Arthur Rimbaud show: a chair, a table, a bottle of absinthe and Oliver in a pale suit, utterly convincing as a French poet less than half his age. His collected poetry was published as Verse &c in 2001. | Most summers he went on tour with his one-man Arthur Rimbaud show: a chair, a table, a bottle of absinthe and Oliver in a pale suit, utterly convincing as a French poet less than half his age. His collected poetry was published as Verse &c in 2001. |
| Three weeks before his death, he electrified the audience at the Wells-next-the-Sea poetry festival with a talk and passionate reading in honour of the centenary of Barker. | Three weeks before his death, he electrified the audience at the Wells-next-the-Sea poetry festival with a talk and passionate reading in honour of the centenary of Barker. |
| His children by Jackie, Joe, Emma and Katie, survive him, as does George, his son by Joyce Westwood. | His children by Jackie, Joe, Emma and Katie, survive him, as does George, his son by Joyce Westwood. |
| • Oliver Bernard, poet and translator, born 22 December 1925; died 1 June 2013 | • Oliver Bernard, poet and translator, born 22 December 1925; died 1 June 2013 |