12 Facts About Michael Horovitz

Michael W Horovitz was a German-born British poet, editor, visual artist and translator who was a leading part of the Beat Poetry scene in the UK.

Michael Horovitz devised the Poetry Olympics festival, held for the first time in Poets' Corner of Westminster Abbey in 1980, with participants over the years including Linton Kwesi Johnson, John Cooper Clarke, Paul McCartney, Eliza Carthy and Damon Albarn.

Michael Horovitz was born in 1935 in Frankfurt, then in Nazi Germany.

Michael Horovitz was the youngest of ten children who were brought to Britain in 1937 by their Jewish parents, Rosi and Dr Avraham Horovitz, both of whom were part of a network of European rabbinical families, and from London Dr Horovitz helped organise routes for other Jewish families to flee the Holocaust.

Michael Horovitz attended William Ellis School in north London, and went on to read English at Brasenose College, Oxford, from 1954 to 1960.

Michael Horovitz coordinated many poetry events such as "Live New Departures", Jazz Poetry Super Jams and the Poetry Olympics festivals.

Michael Horovitz stood for election as Oxford Professor of Poetry in 2010.

Michael Horovitz came second, in a field of 11, to Geoffrey Hill.

An eccentric and colourful part of the UK poetry scene, Michael Horovitz fronted the William Blake Klezmatrix, featuring trombonist Annie Whitehead, pianist Peter Lemer, and often, in later years, his companion, poet and singer Vanessa Vie, where he played his "anglo-saxophone", an updated and extended eunuch flute of his own devising.

Michael Horovitz met the British-Spanish artist Vanessa Vie in 2012 with whom he sustained a personal and creative partnership until his death.

Michael Horovitz died at St Mary's Hospital, Paddington, on 7 July 2021, at the age of 86.

Michael Horovitz was recognised for his artwork and at the time of his death a two-week exhibition of his "Bop Art paintings, collages and picture poems" was opening at the Chelsea Arts Club.