Gascoyne was born in Harrow the eldest of three sons of Leslie Noel Gascoyne (1886–1969), a bank clerk, and his wife, Winifred Isobel, née Emery (1890–1972). His mother, a niece of the actors Cyril Maude See more

Gascoyne was an active anti-fascist, who took part in several protests against the British Union of Fascists in London's East End. He joined the Communist Party of Great Britain in … See more

In a poetic field dominated by W. H. Auden and other more political and social poets, the surrealist group tended to be overlooked by … See more

• 1932 – Roman Balcony (Benford A1)
• 1933 – Opening Day (Benford A2)
• 1935 – A Short Survey of Surrealism (Benford A3) See more

Gascoyne spent the years just before World War II in Paris, where he became friends with Salvador Dalí, Max Ernst, André Breton, Paul Éluard and Pierre Jean Jouve. His poetry of this … See more

• Robert Fraser, Night Thoughts: The Surreal Life of the Poet David Gascoyne, OUP, 2012. ISBN 978-0-19-955814-8
• Colin Benford, David Gascoyne A Bibliography Of His Works, Heritage Books, 1987. ISBN 978-0-9512220-0-3 See more

• David Gascoyne Home Page
• David Gascoyne Collection at the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University. See more