Goronwy Rees
Sir: It seems appropriate that some tribute should be paid to the late Goronwy Rees in the journal of which he was once an assistant editor.
I only came to know him well in the last three years of his life when he was suffering from recurring pain and insomnia, as well as a series of domestic and other tragedies that would have reduced many men to a state of solitary, embittered siege. Not Goronwy: throughout he maintained a cheerful exterior and never allowed his sufferings to prevent his enjoyment of life, or to impinge on those around him.
British authors are notoriously unbrothcrly to one another: unlike their continental counterparts they exude jealousy, suspicion and often outright hostility, however much many of them may deny such sentiments. Goronwy was one of the very few who regarded any fellow author (even one with whom he might disagree) as a 'brother'. He was always ready to help, not only from his own memories, but with introductions, suggestions, guidance. 1 write with some feeling, having often consulted him while researching my own ill-fated book, The British connection. He gave me several days of his time over a period of several months — all of it, I might add, out of sheer goodheartedness and friendship. Heaven knows, in these last few years of his life he must have needed every penny, for his illness precluded a lot of activity. Yet he was always willing to give material freely and to help any author who needed to see him.
The irony of it all is that in many respects nobody was better equipped than he to have produced a best-seller on Burgess, Blunt, Maclean, Philby et al, for, more importantly, he not only understood the background to many of these characters and the events which engulfed them, but he had a tremendous insight into those early literary crusaders against fascism on the continent, especially Willi Muenzenberg — a key figure in the winning of recruits from Oxford and Cambridge by the early members of the Comintern. One day somebody will rediscover Goronwy and may well find that there is a much more fascinating story to tell than anything that has been told yet. Meanwhile the Bull's Head at Strand-on-the-Green will not be the same without him.
Richard Deacon 8 Barry Court, 36 Southend Road, Beckenham, Kent
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