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Woman who helped launch Larkin dies
Jean Hartley: became lifelong friend and confidant of enigmatic Hull poet.
ONE of the first publishers to spot the genius of poet Philip Larkin has died, three months after unveiling a heritage trail in his memory in his adopted city of Hull.
Jean Hartley, who first published Larkin with her husband George in their magazine Listen, has died at the age of 78.
The couple went on to form Marvell Press, which published Larkin’s breakthrough collection The Less Deceived, and she became a lifelong friend and confidant of the enigmatic writer and Hull university librarian.
Prof Graham Chesters, chairman of Larkin25 and a friend of Dr Hartley, said yesterday: “As well as being his publisher he used to go regularly to visit and I don’t think he ever said a bad word about Jean although he was quite critical of a lot of people.
“I think they shared that mutual respect despite the fact they came from very different backgrounds. She had that effect on people.”
In April this year Dr Hartley unveiled the first sign on the Larkin Trail, which followed a series of major events in the city to mark the 25th anniversary of the poet’s death, including the instalation of a statue in Paragon Station.
Speaking at the time, she said: “I think he would be delighted because he was so keen to be known for his poems rather than his person and this is what this trail achieves.”
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