York, England, United Kingdom — Northwestern Europe (the British Isles)

W. H. Auden (1907-1973)

Photographed by Roger W. Sinnott, July 13, 2024

1. W. H. Auden (1907-1973) Marker

Inscription. Wystan Hugh Auden, poet, was born in this house on the 21st. February 1907.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Arts, Letters, Music. A significant historical date for this entry is February 21, 1907.

Location. 53° 57.848′ N, 1° 5.275′ W. Marker is in York, England. It is on Bootham (Alternate Road A19), on the left when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 54 Bootham, York, England YO30 7XZ, United Kingdom. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in England’s Yorkshire & The Humber.

Globally, it is in the Atlantic Ocean,

in the North Atlantic Region,

in Europe,

in Atlantic Europe,

on one of the British Isles,

in the Western World,

and in the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Roman Empire.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Bootham (about 180 meters away, measured in a direct line); William Etty R.A. (about 210 meters away); Foundation of York Fountain (about 210 meters away); Exhibition Square (about 210 meters away); Abbey Wall Gateway (about 210 meters away); The King’s Manor (about 210 meters away); Coat of Arms of Charles I (about 210 meters away); Roman Fortress (approx. 0.2 kilometers away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in York.

Regarding W. H. Auden (1907-1973). Renowned as a prolific poet, playwright, and critic, Auden was one of many intellectuals who flocked to Spain in the late 1930s to join the Spanish Republicans’ futile opposition to the fascist revolt of Francisco Franco. While there Auden served as an ambulance driver. He became a U.S. citizen in 1939, and in 1948 he won the Pulitzer

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Prize for The Age of Anxiety, a long poem in six parts. In 1956 he received a National Book Award in Poetry for The Shield of Achilles, a poem and poetry collection.

Also see . . . W. H. Auden. A short biography by the Poetry Foundation. (Submitted on July 27, 2024, by Roger W. Sinnott of Norwell, Massachusetts.)

Additional keywords. LGBT, LGBTQ, 🏳️‍🌈

Wider View of Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Roger W. Sinnott, July 13, 2024

2. Wider View of Marker

Auden's former house is now the office of an accounting firm.

View Southeast Along Bootham Toward York's City Center image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Roger W. Sinnott, July 13, 2024

3. View Southeast Along Bootham Toward York's City Center

The marker is on the nearby wall at far right. In the distance can be seen the west towers of York Minster, the city's famous cathedral constructed in AD 1230-1427. It rests on the site of a Roman fortress dating from a thousand years before that.

Carl Van Vechten collection, Library of Congress, 1939

4. W. H. Auden

Credits. This page was last revised on August 15, 2024. It was originally submitted on July 27, 2024, by Roger W. Sinnott of Norwell, Massachusetts. This page has been viewed 144 times since then and 4 times this year. Last updated on August 14, 2024, by Ray Gurganus of Washington, District of Columbia. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on July 27, 2024, by Roger W. Sinnott of Norwell, Massachusetts. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.