Josephine Hart, novelist and poetry promoter, dies aged 69

 

Joseohune Hart

Josephine Hart, novelist and poetry promoter, dies aged 69

This article is more than 13 years old

Former West End producer and author of bestselling Damage

Alison Flood

Friday 13 June 2011

Victor described her as "a great impresario". "The parts of her life were quite distinct but united by literature. She was a wonderful writer, who wrote what she wanted to write – she was not a cookie-cutter writer. Sometimes her books weren't commercial; Oblivion was aptly titled. [But] Damage was a huge success. It sold in 26 languages and many, many copies, but she never intended it to be a bestseller. She wrote it because she wanted to write it, and then it became a huge worldwide success. She was dazzled by her own success, surprised and delighted by it," he said.

"Then she had a whole other career as a producer of fabulous poetry readings ... Harold Pinter reading Larkin was maybe the most amazing poetry reading I ever attended. She was just so passionate about poetry. It's a huge loss to us."

Victor described her as "a great impresario". "The parts of her life were quite distinct but united by literature. She was a wonderful writer, who wrote what she wanted to write – she was not a cookie-cutter writer. Sometimes her books weren't commercial; Oblivion was aptly titled. [But] Damage was a huge success. It sold in 26 languages and many, many copies, but she never intended it to be a bestseller. She wrote it because she wanted to write it, and then it became a huge worldwide success. She was dazzled by her own success, surprised and delighted by it," he said.

"Then she had a whole other career as a producer of fabulous poetry readings ... Harold Pinter reading Larkin was maybe the most amazing poetry reading I ever attended. She was just so passionate about poetry. It's a huge loss to us."

Victor described her as "a great impresario". "The parts of her life were quite distinct but united by literature. She was a wonderful writer, who wrote what she wanted to write – she was not a cookie-cutter writer. Sometimes her books weren't commercial; Oblivion was aptly titled. [But] Damage was a huge success. It sold in 26 languages and many, many copies, but she never intended it to be a bestseller. She wrote it because she wanted to write it, and then it became a huge worldwide success. She was dazzled by her own success, surprised and delighted by it," he said.

"Then she had a whole other career as a producer of fabulous poetry readings ... Harold Pinter reading Larkin was maybe the most amazing poetry reading I ever attended. She was just so passionate about poetry. It's a huge loss to us."

THE GUARDIAN