The quality of Peter’s poetry is undisputed: always varied and protean. The epigrammatic nature of his poetry (as of his conversation) is pronounced, the pedal note of profundity never waning. Aphorisms such as ‘Not even regret may stay in Eden’ and ‘Only within the self can scales be hung’ can stand alone.

There were many facets to Peter’s career: broadcaster, poetry editor, translator, critic, jobbing journalist. A memorable public conversation between Peter and Clive James at the 1996 Melbourne Writers’ Festival led to the commissioning of six seasons of discussions about literature for Radio National. Surely these famous conversations, now available on Clive James’s website, also belong in print.

Peter always declined to write an autobiography. He didn’t have the stomach for it, he said. But he did write a memoir of Sylvia Plath and Ted Hughes for ABR in August 2001 (‘A Bystander’s Recollections’), literary journalism at its best. He reviewed for us often, and enriched our pages with his poetry.

With the permission of Peter’s family, the ABR Poetry Prize will henceforth be known as the Peter Porter Poetry Prize – the most alliterative prize in history, for an honoured colleague and a surpassing poet.

Peter Rose