Portrait of Robin Hyde Painting

ROBIN HYDE Born in Capetown, South Africa, in 1906. Died in London, England,1939, aged 33. Poet, novelist, journalist. Robin Hyde was born Iris Wilkinson in Capetown, South Africa, 1906, the second of four daughters. Shortly after her birth, the family moved to New Zealand where they lived in Wellington. Iris began writing at an early age and became a journalist at 17, when she joined the Dominion. Under the pen-name Robin Hyde, she published her first book of poetry; The Desolate Star (1929). Her first prose work, a kaleidoscopic account of her life in journalism; Journalese, appeared in 1934. Between 1935 and 1935 she published five more novels including The Godwits Fly. The work Robin Hyde most cared about was her poetry and she remains one of New Zealands major twentieth century poets. In January 1938 she left New Zealand for England, planning to travel via the Trans-Siberian Railway and write a book about her experiences. In Hong Kong she decided to visit China, then in turmoil and resisting the invading Japanese. Dragon Rampant, published shortly before her death in England in 1939, was the result.