Raymond Henry Williams (1921-1988), was born in Pandy, near Abergavenny, the only child of Henry Joseph Williams and (Esther) Gwendolene. He attended King Henry VIII Grammar School, Abergavenny, and later read English at Trinity College, Cambridge. He was called up in 1941 and fought with the no.21 anti-tank regiment. On returning to Cambridge in 1945 he completed his degree. Between 1946 and 1964 he was involved with adult education, being a staff tutor of the Oxford University extra-mural delegacy. In 1961 he returned to Cambridge as a lecturer in English and a fellow of Jesus College, becoming a reader of drama between 1967 and 1974. He was made the university's first professor of drama in 1974 and retired in 1983. His writing of both fiction and non-fiction was extensive. With Clifford Collins and Wolf Mankowitz he founded and edited 'The Critic' and 'Politics and Letters' in 1947-1948. As well as writing books about drama and literature, such as 'Drama in Performance' and 'Writing in Society', his work encompassed wider social and political matters, including 'May Day Manifesto' and 'Towards 2000'. He also wrote many reviews and articles, including regular pieces for 'The Guardian' and 'The Listener'. His novels started with 'Border Country' and finished with the incomplete historical series 'People of the Black Mountains'. He married Joyce (Joy) Mary Dalling in 1942, and they had one daughter and two sons. Joy Williams was closely involved with her husband's work, through from the development of ideas to the publication of his work.
From the guide to the Raymond Williams Collection, c1900-2007, (Richard Burton Archives, Swansea University)
