Birthplace of one of Britain’s greatest poets
Think of W. H. Auden, and the image that comes to mind is that of an old man with a face as creased as a forgotten pillowcase. But those famous photographs show the celebrated poet towards the end of his life. To trace his story to its origins, you must make your way to Bootham in York.
A plaque marks the house where Wystan Hugh Auden was born on February 21, 1907. Number 54 Bootham is a grand three-storey, five-bay brick-built townhouse dating from about 1840. At different times it has been a dormitory for nearby Bootham School and a home for Buddhists. Today it is owned by the York Conservation Trust.
Info
Address 54 Bootham, York YO30 7XZ | Public Transport 3-minute walk from Bootham Row car park. Closest bus stop: Bootham Park | Tip York hosts a number of poetry nights. Try The Spoken Word Open Mic, which takes place in the Exhibition pub, on Bootham, first Tuesday of every month at 7:30pm.
Auden’s family moved away from York to the West Midlands when the future writer was only a child. Auden went on to be acclaimed as one of the great poets of the 20th century. His best-known poem, Funeral Blues, reached a whole new audience when it featured in the hit film Four Weddings and a Funeral.
Auden is perhaps the most famous literary name connected with York, but by no means the only one. The city now has a thriving literature festival, drawing such famous writers as Will Self, Germaine Greer, and Carol Ann Duffy. One of the festival’s most popular features is the literary walk. Guides from YorkWalk take fiction fans on a tour of the city, revealing its links to the likes of Wilkie Collins and Kate Atkinson.
Alternatively, find your way to the York Explore Library and seek out some of the bizarre plotlines which have included this ancient city. In Susanna Clarke’s spellbinding tale Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell, a magician brings the Minster statues to life. In fantasy writer Cassandra Clare’s book The Clockwork Prince, the heroes are attacked by a clockwork monster in a building based on Holy Trinity Church, in Goodramgate; while Jeffrey Deaver’s thriller Carte Blanche sees superspy James Bond attempting to foil a bomb attack on a university in York.
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