Poetic works of late writer (From Penarth Times)

Poetic works of late writer

A COLLECTION of poetry written by an acclaimed Penarth academic who died last year is to be launched at the Washington Gallery in June.

The collection of work by Colin Evans, entitled Births, Marriages and Deaths, will be launched on June 29 between 7.30pm and 9pm.

Colin, a Cardiff University lecturer who died of cancer last November at the age of 68, was a highly regarded academic who received a full obituary in the Guardian newspaper.

The collection of his works will be published later this year and distributed by Parthian Books.

Colin published little poetry in his lifetime but many of his friends and colleagues felt that this posthumous volume will mark him out as a poet of considerable merit.

The book s publisher said: Replete with his characteristic humour and love of ideas, this book is nothing if not entertaining, but more than that it is a generous, humane and moving account of life lived to the full.

Fellow academic Norman Schwenk said: Colin was a reader in French Studies at Cardiff University.

He had a considerable career which included a Doctorat d Etat from the Sorbonne for his work on Taine and many years of successful and creative lecturing in French Studies at Cardiff University.

His course on French Cinema is still something of a legend.

It was his passionate interest in the subject of teaching and learning, though, that led him into new territory and triggered his interest in Creative Writing.

When he retired from French Studies he pursued a second career in teaching and learning, working as a part-time staff development adviser at Birbeck College, and heading the Teaching Creative Writing Course on the MA at Cardiff.

Colin s approach to his own death was very much like his life, governed by reason and good humour and deep feeling.

Colin Evans left behind his wife Carol and their son Nicholas.