Dr Nicholas Hughes

The tragic, premature death of Nicholas Hughes has been reported rather predictably by the media. Instead of simply reporting the event as the untimely passing of someone whose family was in the public eye, many articles simply reprise the sad, and equally untimely, deaths of his mother, Sylvia Plath, Assia and Shura Wevill.

A number of column inches have also been given over to the anti-Ted Hughes reaction instigated by some more hysterical elements.

All of which may be true but, rather sadly, they diminish the tragedy of this young mans death by reducing him to a bit part player in his families wider tragedy.

Here is a tragedy in its own right. Reading Ted Hughes' letters to his son and looking at the photographs in the recently published volume of Hughes' letters, one gets the impression of a normal, well adjusted young man, totally at ease with the world of nature and in particular with fishing, a past time he truly loved and which eventually provided him with a livelihood.

I am deeply saddened by his passing and want to express my deepest sympathies to his sister, Freida, and other members of his extended family.

This article in the Alaskan press gives a true appreciation of the man and his work. http://www.newsminer.com/news/2009/mar/23/nicholas-hughes-son-major-poets-emerged-prominent-/

RIP.