LEWIS
,
ALUN
(
1915
-
1944
),
poet
;
b.
1 July 1915
at
Aberdare, Glam.
, s. of
Thomas John
Lewis
,
schoolmaster
, and
Gwladys Elizabeth
(née
Evans
)
. He was educated at
Glynhafod elementary school
,
1920-26
,
Cowbridge Grammar School
,
1926-32
,
University College of Wales
,
Aberystwyth
(
B.A.
with honours in History)
1932-35
,
Manchester University
(
M.A.
with research in medieval history),
1935-37
, and
Aberystwyth
again,
1937-38
. He
taught
for a time at
Lewis' School
,
Pengam
, but without waiting to be called up
joined the Army
in
May 1940
. He had begun to
contribute to literary journals
in
1938
, and in
1940-41
was a mover in the ‘
Caseg Broadsheets
’ venture. On
5 July 1941
he married
Gweno
Ellis
of
Aberystwyth
. This same year appeared his first volume of poems,
Raiders’ Dawn
, and in
1942
a volume of short stories,
The Last Inspection
. He was commissioned in
October 1941
, and a year later proceeded to
India
. On
5 March 1944
, a
lieutenant
with the
6th Batt. South Wales Borderers
, he
died on active service
on the
Arakan
front. A second volume of poems,
Ha, ha! Among the Trumpets
, was published posthumously in
1945
; a selection of his letters to his parents and wife,
Letters from India
was published in
1946
; and the uncollected short stories together with a reprint of the
Letters
in
In the Green Tree
in
1948
. There was no issue of his marriage.
Bibliography:
-
In the Green Tree
, London, 1948
(preface by
A. L. Rowse
, Postscript by
Gwyn Jones
);
-
Alun John
,
Alun Lewis
, 1970
;
-
John Pikoulis
,
Alun Lewis, a life
, 1983
;
-
Gwenno Lewis
, ed.
Alun Lewis, letters to my wife
,
1989
;
-
Ulrich Schäfer
,
Alun Lewis, a bibliography
, 1986
;
- Cary Archard
Alun Lewis Collected Poems
, 1994
.
Author:
Professor Gwyn Jones, M.A., (1907-99), Aberystwyth / Cardiff
