Georgina Hammick: Difference between revisions

Daughter of a professional soldier, Hammick was born Georgina Heyman in [[Aldershot]], [[Hampshire]]. She was one of a pair of identical twins: her sister Amanda Vesey is a well-known children's writer and illustrator.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Art Stable – Contemporary and Modern British Paintings, Sculpture, Prints and Ceramics – Dorset - Gallery |url=https://www.theartstable.co.uk/gallery/amanda_vesey.php |access-date=2023-02-10 February 2023 |website=www.theartstable.co.uk |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Art First: Amanda Vesey |url=https://www.artfirst.co.uk/amanda_vesey/pe_vesey_06.html |access-date=2023-02-10 February 2023 |website=www.artfirst.co.uk}}</ref> Her early life was somewhat peripatetic, and she lived, and was 'semi-educated', in England, America and Kenya. She began training as a painter, attending the [[Académie Julian|Academie Julian]] in [[Paris]] and Salisbury Art School, but eventually chose to make her career as a writer.<ref name="auto">{{Cite web |title=Georgina Hammick |url=https://www.oxfordreference.com/display/10.1093/oi/authority.20110803095918595;jsessionid=DA3A75A306DDB6EE8834F1BF0C94DB57 |access-date=2023-02-10 February 2023 |website=Oxford Reference |language=en |doi=10.1093/oi/authority.20110803095918595;jsessionid=da3a75a306ddb6ee8834f1bf0c94db57}}</ref> She taught in various schools, both state and private, before marrying Charles Hammick, a soldier, in 1961. Together they had three children (one of whom is the painter [[Tom Hammick]]),<ref>{{Cite web |title=Tom Hammick |url=https://www.glyndebourne.com/about-us/art-at-glyndebourne/tom-hammick/ |access-date=2023-02-10 February 2023 |website=Glyndebourne |language=en-US}}</ref>, and also brought up his two children from a previous marriage. Her husband left the army in 1964 and became a company secretary, but after suffering a near-fatal heart-attack in 1967 he was obliged to find other employment. The following year the Hammicks set up a bookshop in [[Farnham]]. Hammick's was the first bookshop to use a computerised ordering system, and soon expanded to become a small independent chain.<ref>{{Cite web |title=From Menzies to Mega: the background to the deal |url=https://www.thebookseller.com/news/2003-menzies-mega-background-deal |access-date=2023-02-10 February 2023 |website=The Bookseller |language=En}}</ref><ref>{{Citation |title=Hammicks - "The Bookshop at the Heart of the Community". |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c6IfCyc9R60 |language=en |access-date=2023-02-10 February 2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bdVMAQAAIAAJ&newbks=0&printsec=frontcover&dq=charles+hammick+bookseller&q=charles+hammick+bookseller&hl=en |title=Antiquarian Book Monthly Review |date=1990 |publisher=ABMR Publications |language=en}}</ref>

Hammick began publishing poetry in magazines and anthologies in the 1970s, and was one of five poets whose work appeared in ''A Poetry Quintet'' (1976).<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=p5kaAAAAMAAJ&newbks=0&printsec=frontcover&dq=a+poetry+quintet+georgina+hammick&q=a+poetry+quintet+georgina+hammick&hl=en |title=British Book News |date=1977 |publisher=British Council |language=en}}</ref> <ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QbCZAAAAIAAJ&newbks=0&printsec=frontcover&dq=a+poetry+quintet+georgina+hammick&q=a+poetry+quintet+georgina+hammick&hl=en |title=Outposts |date=1978 |publisher=H. Sergeant |language=en}}</ref> Her poems were singled out by one reviewer as 'clean, unpretending, to the point, and unusually assured in their restraint'.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Publications |first=Europa Europa |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EcinRfSQImAC&newbks=0&printsec=frontcover&pg=PA669&dq=a+poetry+quintet+georgina+hammick&hlpg=enPA669 |title=International Who's Who in Poetry 2005 |date=2004 |publisher=Taylor & Francis |isbn=978-1-85743-269-5 |language=en}}</ref> For many years she took part in the [[The Poetry Society|Poetry Society]]'s 'Poet in Schools' scheme,<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=azFnAAAAMAAJ&newbks=0&printsec=frontcover&dq=poetry+society+georgina+hammick&q=poetry+society+georgina+hammick&hl=en |title=New Poetry |date=1976 |publisher=Arts Council of Great Britain. |isbn=978-0-7287-0109-0 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |lastlast1=Tracy |firstfirst1=Lorna |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7zIkAAAAMAAJ&newbks=0&printsec=frontcover&dq=poetry+society+georgina+hammick&q=poetry+society+georgina+hammick&hl=en |title=Best Short Stories from Stand Magazine |last2=Silkin |first2=Jon |last3=Wardle |first3=John |date=1988 |publisher=Methuen Paperback |isbn=978-0-413-18410-8 |language=en}}</ref>, and she contributed to [[Gavin Ewart]]'s anthology of 'Other People's Clerihetos' (1983).<ref>{{Cite book |last=Society |first=Poetry Book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=S-xZAAAAMAAJ&newbks=0&printsec=frontcover&dq=a+poetry+quintet+georgina+hammick&q=a+poetry+quintet+georgina+hammick&hl=en |title=Poetry Supplement |date=1978 |publisher=The Society |language=en}}</ref> Once her children had 'more or less' grown up, she began writing short stories.