William Robert Rodgers (1909 – 1969), known as Bertie, and born in Belfast, Northern Ireland, was probably best known as a poet, but was also a prose essayist, a book reviewer, a radio broadcaster and script writer, a lecturer and, latterly, a teacher, as well as a former Presbyterian minister[1].

Rodgers published two volumes of poetry: Awake! And Other Poems (London, 1941) and Europa and the Bull (London, 1952) and two volumes of prose: Ireland in Colour (London, 1957) and Essex Roundabout (Colchester, 1963). His standing as a literary figure was based on his poetry, particularly on Awake! which was given glowing reviews in Britain and America and on his highly innovative series of radio broadcasts on Irish literary figures:They resided in England till 1966 when Rodgers secured a post as writer in residence at Pitzer College, Claremont, California and later a lecturing post at California State Polytechnic. He died in 1969 in Los Angeles and was buried at Loughgall.

Awake! and Other Poems (1941) was given glowing reviews in Britain and America, although the first edition was almost totally lost when the publisher’s warehouse was destroyed in the London Blitz. This is the first American Edition