The book represent a genuine and important discovery in the canon
of Betjeman's poems, often considered closed with the publication
of the "Complete Poems". Between 1953-57, John Betjeman read a
series of poems on "The Faith in the West" program airing on the
BBC's West of England Home Service. This series, called "Poems in
the Porch", was so popular that Betjeman received constant requests
to publish the poems. Although he deprecatingly referred to the
poems as mere 'verses', Betjeman at last capitulated to the public.
The result was a slim volume of six poems, entitled Poems in the
Porch. What few people now realize is that Betjeman read at least
20 original poems on the radio in this series, perhaps even more,
although owing to the haphazard records of both the BBC and
Betjeman himself it is impossible to reconstruct with complete
accuracy the history of this series. Kevin Gardner has been able to
identify and collect 26 of these poems and has written a
fascinating introductory essay recounting the story of Betjeman as
a radio poet and discussing the artistry of these poems. Most have
never been published and currently exist only in manuscript.
Despite the gap between the BBC records on the one hand and the
printed and manuscript texts on the other, Gardner has been able to
construct a relatively reliable edition of "Betjeman's Poems in the
Porch".
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