Biography
Gwen Harwood was born Gwendoline Nessie Foster in Brisbane, Queensland in 1920. As a child she was immersed in music, philosophy, language and religion. Gwen was brought up in a family of strong women, her mother was a feminist who was involved in community issues and her grandmother earned her own living up until she was 80. Gwen’s grandmother was the one that introduced her to poetry and taught her the joys of music. Harwood in the early stages of her life was not driven – “Harwood consistently speaks and writes of her childhood as a time of radiant happiness, which left her, she claims, without ambition”. We know a great deal about her early adulthood from her letters of 1943 to Thomas Riddell – (Published as ‘Blessed City’ in 1990)
As a young adult, Harwood aspired to become a musician. She became a music teacher and then went on to become an organist at the All Saints Church of England in Brisbane and was also a member of the Handel society.
In 1943 Gwen was married to Frank William (Bill) Harwood and they moved to Tasmania. Their first child was born in 1946. Tasmania never felt like home to her, as she writes in 'Lamplit Presences'. "Tasmania has always given me a feeling of exile. When I got off the plane here 35 years ago, a voice told me, this is beautiful, but not your place".
Harwood faced the fact that she would only be a good, not great musician and began write poetry. Many of Gwen’s poems are based on Christian views and society’s beliefs.
When Harwood first started writing poetry she used many pseudonyms such as Walter Lehnamm, Alan Carvosse, Miriam Stone and W.W Hagendoor (an anagram of her name). Harwood published 10 poems as Timothy T.F Kline, who can be categorized as an ‘angry young man’. Harwood states that her “main motivation for writing under different names may have been for the freedom of voice it granted her, as much as strategy for increased publication”. Poems was published in 1963, Volume Two was later published in 1968. Harwood’s second book was commonly perceived as being more directly personal than the first. During her career Harwood received multiple awards. She was awarded the Robert Frost Award in 1977 and 1978 respectively. In 1989, Bone Scan won the Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards Prize for poetry as well as the South Australian JJ Bray Award.
In The Lion's Bride, Harwood tells of her fear that marriage can deaden a person's creativity and independence. In 'The Sea Anemones', she gives the image of family clamoring to be fed. In 'An Impromptu for Ann Jennings' and 'Iris', she describes marriage as a type of imprisonment, but that there is a sense of accomplishment in fulfilling the important role of wife and mother. Despite that, she was happy with domestic life and her role. Gwen herself said, "I like the domestic scene because it springs from early childhood. I love cooking and reading and just caring for a family". She also believed that having children was the key to immortality. During her career, Harwood published over 420 works, including 386 poems and 13 librettos.
Gwendoline Nessie Harwood died in December 1995.
As a young adult, Harwood aspired to become a musician. She became a music teacher and then went on to become an organist at the All Saints Church of England in Brisbane and was also a member of the Handel society.
In 1943 Gwen was married to Frank William (Bill) Harwood and they moved to Tasmania. Their first child was born in 1946. Tasmania never felt like home to her, as she writes in 'Lamplit Presences'. "Tasmania has always given me a feeling of exile. When I got off the plane here 35 years ago, a voice told me, this is beautiful, but not your place".
Harwood faced the fact that she would only be a good, not great musician and began write poetry. Many of Gwen’s poems are based on Christian views and society’s beliefs.
When Harwood first started writing poetry she used many pseudonyms such as Walter Lehnamm, Alan Carvosse, Miriam Stone and W.W Hagendoor (an anagram of her name). Harwood published 10 poems as Timothy T.F Kline, who can be categorized as an ‘angry young man’. Harwood states that her “main motivation for writing under different names may have been for the freedom of voice it granted her, as much as strategy for increased publication”. Poems was published in 1963, Volume Two was later published in 1968. Harwood’s second book was commonly perceived as being more directly personal than the first. During her career Harwood received multiple awards. She was awarded the Robert Frost Award in 1977 and 1978 respectively. In 1989, Bone Scan won the Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards Prize for poetry as well as the South Australian JJ Bray Award.
In The Lion's Bride, Harwood tells of her fear that marriage can deaden a person's creativity and independence. In 'The Sea Anemones', she gives the image of family clamoring to be fed. In 'An Impromptu for Ann Jennings' and 'Iris', she describes marriage as a type of imprisonment, but that there is a sense of accomplishment in fulfilling the important role of wife and mother. Despite that, she was happy with domestic life and her role. Gwen herself said, "I like the domestic scene because it springs from early childhood. I love cooking and reading and just caring for a family". She also believed that having children was the key to immortality. During her career, Harwood published over 420 works, including 386 poems and 13 librettos.
Gwendoline Nessie Harwood died in December 1995.
