Harry Hooton Harry Hooton i(A8988 works by) (birth name: Henry Arthur Hooton)
Also writes as: Philistine
Born: Established: 9 Oct 1908 Doncaster, South Yorkshire,
c
England,
c
c
United Kingdom (UK),
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Western Europe, Europe,
; Died: Ceased: 27 Jun 1961 Sydney, New South Wales,
Gender: Male
Arrived in Australia: 1924
Heritage: English
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BiographyHistory

Harry Hooton left London for Australia in 1924, at the age of 16. He moved around the east coast in search of employment. Between labouring jobs, he began to have his writings, largely political in nature, published. He described himself as a Trotskyist, and was involved with the International Workers of the World - the 'Wobblies' - and became secretary of the Newcastle branch of the Peace Pledge Union, an international pacifist organisation.

Hooton contributed to the Newcastle Morning Herald and Miner's Advocate and in 1942 was offered a job by Brian Penton in Sydney, as a journalist with The Daily Telegraph. Here, he began to publish his poetry and became a well-known local figure. The author of three collections of poetry, he also ran the influential literary magazine 21st Century, which introduced progressive American writing into a conservative Australian literary climate. Hooton's work was not widely popular, but is notable for its individualistic and anarchic approach. During the 1950s he was a contributing editor to the literary journal Inferno Quarterly. With Garry Lyle and A. D. Hope (qq.v.) he published his writing in a three issue periodical, [Untitled: An Untitled, Unpretentious, Unadvertised and Unusual Selection of Verse and Prose], and also published a poetry broadsheet, Anarcho-technocracy: The Politics of Things (19--?).

In 1972, Hooton's life became the subject of the independent film, Harry Hooton, made by Arthur and Corinne Cantrill (q.v.).

Most Referenced Works

Notes

  • The Oxford Companion to Australian Literature gives Hooton's birthplace as Hampstead; this would appear to be an error in view of evidence from other sources.

Known archival holdings

National Library of Australia (ACT)
A collection of letters from the philospher-poet Harry Hooton to Corinne Cantrill relating to the publication and distribution of the magazine 21st Century. National Library of Australia (ACT)
Thirteen letters from Harry Hooton to Corinne Cantrill, 1957-1958, mainly regarding the publication of 21st Century. Also, four letters from Margaret Fink (nee Elliot) also in relation to 21st Century. Comprises original letters, and typescript and photocopies of the same, with explanatory notes. State Library of Victoria (VIC)
Last amended 20 Sep 2010 17:20:54
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