of the organisers of the covert Writer's Group of the late 1930s, attempting to co-ordinate a 'literary policy' of the Left. He was also involved in work for the Unity Theatre, and was the literary editor of the Daily Worker, often reviewing books for The Times, The Manchester Guardian, amongst other newspapers. Politics Swingler joined the Communist Party of Great Britain in 1934. His numerous ventures as a literary entrepreneur included the setting up of Fore Publications (1938), editing the magazines Left Review (from 1937 to 1938), Arena, Seven (taken over in wartime, mainly for the paper stock), Our Time, and the publishing of the Key Books, and later Key Poets series. These proved more influential than his Blake-flavoured verse, which has consistently been criticised (and scarcely defended, except by Andy Croft). With his brother, the Labour MP Stephen Swingler, he was involved in Barnett Stross's Lidice Shall Live campaign, and wrote the words to the piece "A Rose For Lidice" (music by Alan Rawsthorne), which was performed at the opening of the memorial rose garden in Lidice in 1955. Personal life He was married to the concert pianist and tutor at the Guildhall, Geraldine Peppin. They had an open marriage and Swingler had an affair with actor and activist Ann Davies. Swingler died unexpectedly on 19 Jun 1967 at Charing Cross Hospital. Westminster. His daughter Judith married the composer Edward Williams. Works Crucifixus (1932) play Difficult Morning (1933) poems The Left Song Book, (1938) compiled with Alan Bush The Years of Anger – poems The God in the Cave (1950) poems Selected Poems of Randall Swingler (2000) edited by Andy Croft References 1909 births 1967 deaths People educated at Winchester College Alumni of New College, Oxford English communists English people of Scottish descent British Army soldiers British Army personnel of World War II Recipients of the Military Medal 20th-century British poets Military personnel from Aldershot