11 Facts About Douglas Cleverdon

Thomas Douglas James Cleverdon was an English radio producer and bookseller.

Douglas Cleverdon then set up a bookshop in Bristol, modelled on Birrell and Garnett in London, with signboards designed by Eric Gill and Roger Fry.

Douglas Cleverdon married Elinor Nest Lewis in 1944; she was a secretary at the BBC, and they provided a social focus for producers and performers.

Douglas Cleverdon was the President of the Double Crown Club in the 1950s.

Douglas Cleverdon died on the 1st October 1987 and is buried with Nest on the eastern side of Highgate Cemetery.

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Douglas Cleverdon's first book published was a collection of engravings by Eric Gill, who later drew the first version of what would become Gill Sans for him for use on signs and notices for the shop.

Later, in 1948, Douglas Cleverdon would adapt and produce David Jones's major poem In Parenthesis for radio, with Richard Burton and Dylan Thomas, with music by Elizabeth Poston, for BBC Radio's Third Programme.

In 1954 Douglas Cleverdon produced Under Milk Wood, the premier of the Dylan Thomas dramatic poem; according to Jenny Abramsky it had taken seven years to persuade Thomas to write it.

Douglas Cleverdon collected folk songs in the south of England for the BBC in the 1940s.

Douglas Cleverdon produced programmes for them featuring Max Beerbohm, Ted Hughes, Stevie Smith and many other poets.

Douglas Cleverdon was a friend and near neighbour of the writer Jillian Becker, who was a friend of Plath and it was at Becker's House in Barnsbury Square that Plath spent the last few days of her life.