Robert Herring

Who was Robert Herring?

Robert Herring was a Scottish writer and poet, remembered as an early film critic and editor of the significant literary magazine, Life and Letters Today.

Robert Herring was assistant editor of The London Mercury from 1925 to 1934. He took over editorship of Life and Letters Today in 1935, when it was purchased by Bryher, and held it for about 15 years, working initially with Petrie Townsend. The first issue featured the following articles :

Mary Butts - "The Guest"

Murray Constantine - "The Power of Merlin"

H. D. - "The Dancer"

Havelock Ellis- "Rousseau To-day"

Kenneth Macpherson - "Out of the Air"

Lotte Reininger - "Bristol"

Gertrude Stein - "English and American Language in Literature"

The issue also included contributions by Sergei M. Eisenstein, André Gide, Horace Gregory, Osbert Sitwell and Eric Walter White. It continued to publish major figures, including Henry Miller and Dylan Thomas. The title of the magazine was Life and Letters Today, but reverted to its pre-Bryher title, Life and Letters, when the publication took over the London Mercury and Bookman titles.

Herring became close friends of the Pool Group, having associated with them since their interest in experimental film in the late 1920s.