On the 4th of November 2021, it marks 18 years since the passing of Charles Causley. Born on 24th August 1917 in the Newport district of the town of Launceston in Cornwall, the site of his birth is now a private house, marked by a plaque installed by the Town Council.
Charles Causley spent most of his life living in the same town, where he died at the age of 86 on the 4th November 2003. On the anniversary of his death, we are looking back at his life.
Leaving school at 15, Charles Causley worked for some years as a clerk in local firms but continued to develop his early literary interests and talent by reading widely and writing plays for local productions. His first published play, ‘Runaway’, appeared when he was only 19 and several others were published soon afterwards. ‘Runaway’ was broadcast on the BBC’s Home/West Country (radio) service, shortly before the outbreak of the Second World War, when Causley was in his early 20s.
After serving in the Royal Navy as an Ordinary Seaman and Petty Officer between 1940 and 1946, his experience formed the basis of many of his poems and a number of his short stories. Upon the end of the Second World War Causley, took advantage of a post-war scheme for returning veterans to train as a teacher at Peterborough.
On qualifying as a teacher, he returned to his hometown of Launceston to teach in his own childhood school and other primary schools there. He remained in that career until taking early retirement in 1976, when he became a full-time writer. He toured regularly as a British Council speaker and poetry reader and had several stints in educational and cultural institutions overseas.
The Charles Causley Trust continues to celebrate the work of Charles Causley and share his legacy. Through our festivals, competitions and our new literary blog, we are continuing to promote the importance of literature and creative writing within Launceston and throughout the South West.
For more information about Charles Causley and his literary work, explore our website.
