Dannie Abse

Dannie Abse is a poet, author, doctor and playwright, in 2012 he was nominated an CBE for his services to literature and poetry.  Brought up in Cardiff, Abse draws on both his Welsh roots and Jewish inheritance but is above all famous for combining the twin careers of author and doctor. It is said that Most poets have an acute sense of mortality but Abse's professional life as a doctor gives him a more precise and intimate perspective than most. Abse is seen to use the influence of Phillip Larkin within his poetry.