The neo-romantic poet (William) Sydney Graham was born in Greenock, the son of a marine engineer. He left school at fourteen and trained as an engineer before returning to education, studying literature and philosophy. His first collections of poetry were published in the 1940s. They are intimate works that often focus on the strangeness of language as a means of communication. In 1948 Graham moved to London where he adopted a Bohemian lifestyle. His friends included the playwright Harold Pinter and poets Dylan Thomas and T.S. Eliot. Although little known during most of his lifetime, interest in W.S. Graham’s poetry increased towards the end of his life. Several collections of his work were published after his death, including ‘New Collected Poems’ (2004).