John James (1939-2018) was born in Cardiff & educated by the De La Salle Brothers at Saint Illtyd’s College there. He left to read Philosophy & English Literature at the University of Bristol. He remained in that city for some years where, with Nick Wayte, he produced the magazine The Resuscitator with the guidance of Charles Tomlinson. Subsequently he moved to Cambridge where he became associated with the group around The English Intelligencer. He undertook postgraduate studies in American Literature at The University of Keele. He was Arts Council Poet in Residence at the University of Sussex 1978-79. A Collected Poems appeared in 2002. He received a Cholmondeley Award from The Society of Authors for his body of work & services to poetry in 2014. His most recent book prior to his Shearsman New & Selected is the livre d’artiste, in collaboration with Bruce McLean, On Reading J.H. Prynne’s Sub Songs.