author
James Henry Cousins
1873–1956
A Belfast-born poet, playwright, and critic, he became a lively link between the Irish literary revival and the cultural life of India. His work ranged across poetry, drama, essays, education, and art criticism, with a long public career shaped by Theosophy and international exchange.
2 Audiobooks
The legend of the blemished king, and other poems
by James Henry Cousins
Etain the Beloved, and Other Poems
by James Henry Cousins
About the author
Born in Belfast on July 22, 1873, James Henry Cousins was an Irish writer, teacher, and critic who later made his life in India. Early in his career he was part of the Irish literary world and is associated with figures of the Irish revival, while also building a reputation through poetry, plays, and essays.
In 1915, he and his wife, Margaret Cousins, moved to India, where he took on an important role in education and public culture. He taught, wrote extensively, and became known for his work in literary criticism, cultural commentary, and support for the arts, helping encourage wider interest in modern art and artistic institutions in India.
Cousins remained an active and wide-ranging public intellectual for decades, writing under his own name and at times under pseudonyms including Mac Oisín and Jayaram. He died on February 20, 1956, and is remembered as a writer whose career crossed countries, traditions, and artistic fields.