Chiswick Timeline of Writers & Books: a quick guide
WB Yeats is – with Harold Pinter – one of two winners of the Nobel Prize for Literature to have lived and written in Chiswick. They are remembered on the Chiswick Timeline of Writers and Books, alongside John Osborne, William Thackeray, Alexander Pope, EM Forster, Anthony Burgess, Iris Murdoch, John Betjeman, Nancy Mitford and other distinguished playwrights, poets and novelists. ‘Chiswick may Britain’s most literary location‘ – The Observer.
From the Writers Trail:
28. WB Yeats 1865-1939. Poet: The Lake Isle of Innisfree was written here, perhaps inspired by Chiswick Eyot. Grew up in Bedford Park 1876-80, 1888-94, among a literary circle – visitors included GB Shaw. Wrote first play here, later founded Irish National Theatre (Abbey Theatre, Dublin). Nobel Prize for Literature 1923. See WB Yeats Smartphone Trail.
8 Woodstock Road W4 1UE and 3 Blenheim Road, W4 1UB (Green plaque, Bedford Park Society) (Private houses, no access)
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WB Yeats: Nobel Prize winning poet The Chiswick Calendar
WB Yeats Bedford Park Artwork Project
Yeats in Bedford Park by Chris Deering ChiswickW4.com
The Nobel Prize: William Butler Yeats
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1. In September 2022, the Project to celebrate WB Yeats in Bedford Park came to fruition, with the launch of a sculpture by Royal Academician Conrad Shawcross (second right, above) near St Michael & All Angels Church. Yeats is one of two winners of the Nobel Prize for Literature on Chiswick’s Writers Trail; he lived for several years at 3 Blenheim Road and 8 Woodstock Road.
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Read about his time in Bedford Park, Chiswick, and the project for a memorial to him, in an interview with poet Cahal Dallat on The Chiswick Calendar and watch his 2022 interview with Nick Hennigan of Resonance FM on YouTube.
Read more stories via the Writers Tales page.
Further reading: Bedford Park (Wikipaedia)
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2. Bob Geldof was filmed in Bedford Park for his BBC documentary Bob Geldof on WB Yeats: A Fanatic Heart. It was last available to view on BBCiPlayer in December 2020. Bob Geldof on WB Yeats: A Fanatic Heart – DVD – Amazon, from £17.14.
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Chiswick Timeline Writers Trail
Read more stories via the Writers Tales page.
The Chiswick Timeline of Writers & Books lists almost 500 writers who have written a book and lived in Chiswick W4, or written books about the area. See A Quick Guide.