David Wright

Born in Johannesburg in 1920, David Wright lost his hearing after scarlet fever as a child and later moved to England, where he studied at Northampton School for the Deaf and then at Oriel College, Oxford. That experience of deafness stayed central to his life and writing, and it gave his work a direct, observant voice.

After working at The Sunday Times, he became a freelance writer and built a varied literary career. He edited major anthologies with John Heath-Stubbs, helped found and co-edit X magazine, and translated works including Beowulf and The Canterbury Tales into modern English.

Alongside his poetry, he also wrote memoir and criticism, including Deafness: A Personal Account, which is often noted for the insight it offers hearing readers. He died in East Sussex in 1994.