Tony Harrison lives in Newcastle and he and Geoffrey Hill were
friends when Hill was a lecturer at Leeds. This was at the time
Jon Silkin was publishing Hill's important early work in Stand.
(The late 60s). So Geoffrey Hill must have known all about Bunting
from his contacts. Briggflats was 1966 and Mercian Hymns 1969.
But personally I see little direct influence of one on the other.
I think it was more in the literary climate of the time.
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
|