Robin Hyde (Author of The Godwits Fly)

Robin Hyde鈥檚 Followers (12)

Robin Hyde

Born

in Cape Town, South Africa

January 19, 1906

Died

August 23, 1939

Genre

Poetry

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Iris Guiver Wilkinson, better known as Robin Hyde, her chosen name as poet and writer, was born on 19 January 1906 in Cape Town, South Africa. She was the second daughter of Edith Ellinor (Nelly) Butler, an Australian nurse who on her way 鈥楬ome鈥� had met and married George Edward Wilkinson, an Englishman working on the installation of a post and telegraph system in South Africa. When Iris was a month old the family sailed third-class in the Ruapehu for New Zealand.
Settling in Wellington, the Wilkinsons rented a series of dingy houses in Newtown, Melrose and Berhampore where two more daughters were born. The household was violently divided in its opinions, Iris鈥檚 mother enthusiastic for God and empire, bluebells and manners, her father immers Iris Guiver Wilkinson, better known as Robin Hyde, her chosen name as poet and writer, was born on 19 January 1906 in Cape Town, South Africa. She was the second daughter of Edith Ellinor (Nelly) Butler, an Australian nurse who on her way 鈥楬ome鈥� had met and married George Edward Wilkinson, an Englishman working on the installation of a post and telegraph system in South Africa. When Iris was a month old the family sailed third-class in the Ruapehu for New Zealand.
Settling in Wellington, the Wilkinsons rented a series of dingy houses in Newtown, Melrose and Berhampore where two more daughters were born. The household was violently divided in its opinions, Iris鈥檚 mother enthusiastic for God and empire, bluebells and manners, her father immersed in books denouncing capitalism, imperialism and religion. The story of her early life is told in her autobiographical novel The godwits fly, and in a haunting sequence of poems in Houses by the sea, published after her death. She was a pupil at South Wellington School and Berhampore School, where she was dux in 1918. After her family鈥檚 move to the suburb of Northland she attended Wellington Girls鈥� College, where she made a lifelong friend, Gwen Hawthorn (later Mitcalfe). Although Iris wrote dismissively of her education there as stodgy and cold, she received encouragement for her writing. Many of her poems and stories appeared in the school magazine between 1919 and 1922.
At 17 the 鈥楽choolgirl Poetess鈥� joined the staff of the Dominion, also working on the children鈥檚 page of the New Zealand Farmers鈥� Advocate. She had a love affair with one of her father鈥檚 prot茅g茅s, Harry Sweetman, which was fictionalised in The godwits fly. They planned to go to Europe together, but at 18 she spent some months in hospital after a knee operation. She came out on crutches, lame for life, dependent on opiates for pain relief, to find that Harry had gone without her. She learned much later of his death shortly after his arrival in England.
Returning to work at the Dominion she wrote 鈥楶eeps at Parliament鈥� under the pen-name 鈥楴ovitia鈥� during the election year of 1925. Although flippant (as at that time her age, sex and the editor dictated), the column touched on some serious social concerns. She met politicians William Downie Stewart, Daniel Sullivan and John A. Lee, who became lasting friends. A brief love affair while she was receiving treatment for her knee in Rotorua left her pregnant. In April 1926 she resigned from the Dominion and sailed for Sydney. Five bleak months there ended with the birth and death of a son. She gave him the name Robin Hyde, then borrowed it back from him, to use for her serious writing. On her return to New Zealand she had a nervous breakdown, and in 1927 spent some months in Queen Mary Hospital at Hanmer Springs.
Writing again, she had some poems published in newspapers. John Schroder, from the Christchurch Sun 鈥檚 literary pages, began a correspondence with her that lasted till her death. He became her literary adviser and friend. Back in Wellington she found only occasional work as a jobbing journalist. She joined New Zealand Truth in September 1928, then, after being sacked, with Schroder鈥檚 help she was appointed to assist Esther Glen with the women鈥檚 page of the Christchurch Sun. She was employed by the Wanganui Chronicle by March 1929. At each post she inserted controversial interviews or subversive comment into the society or shopping columns.
Her first collection of poetry, The desolate star, was published in 1929. Few copies sold. In Wanganui she became pregnant after a brief fling with a married journalist who suggested she pay half the cost of an abortion. 鈥榃ell, I thought, you can鈥檛 say we haven鈥檛 got sex equality all right鈥�. Hyde refused the abortion and took six months鈥� sick leave claiming 鈥榓 dicky heart鈥�. She lived near French Pass and later at Picton under an assumed name; her son, Derek Challis, was born in Octo ...more

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Robin Hyde鈥檚 books

Average rating: 3.8 · 269 ratings · 36 reviews · 23 distinct works 鈥� Similar authors

	The Godwits Fly by Robin Hyde, Ann Thwaite (Preface) 3.65 avg rating — 132 ratings — published 1938 — 12 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Passport to Hell by Robin Hyde, D.I.B. Smith (Introduction) 3.59 avg rating — 64 ratings — published 1936 — 8 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Wednesday's Children by Robin Hyde, Susan Ash (contributor) 4.48 avg rating — 21 ratings — published 1937 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Young Knowledge: The Poems of Robin Hyde by Robin Hyde, Michele Leggott (Editor) really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 11 ratings — published 2003 — 5 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Nor the Years Condemn 4.44 avg rating — 9 ratings — published 1938 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Check to your king really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 6 ratings — published 1936 — 6 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	A Home In This World by Robin Hyde, Derek Challis (Introduction) 4.25 avg rating — 4 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Book of Nadath by Robin Hyde, Michele Leggott (Editor) it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 3 ratings — published 1999 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Just around the corner: Compassion in San Bernardino (NWMS reading books) really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 3 ratings — published 1999	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Dragon Rampant: The Best Books on Chinese History and the History Book About World War 2 really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 3 ratings — published 2013 — 5 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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Quotes by Robin Hyde (?)

“Be for once a white boat adrift, in debt to no lighthouse.”
― Robin Hyde

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“The ruined cities in her eyes,
The bitter beauty of her lips.”
― Robin Hyde, The Desolate Star

tags: poetry

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“A moment. Did I mention it? Charles, perhaps finding that he was not much of a success with the lower middle classes, developed in middle life a habit of ennobling the friends who did the decent thing by him. One finds his record full of barons and comtes; the grain of salt is recommended.”
― Robin Hyde, Check to your king

tags: divorced-from-reality, social-status, tragicomedy

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Robin Hyde鈥檚 Followers (12)

Robin Hyde

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