Tragic driver was published poet

A YOUNG writer who was killed while travelling to his grandfather's funeral had just had some of his poetry published, it has emerged.

Henry Wingate, 24, was killed when his car overturned on icy conditions on the B1077 at Ashbocking last Wednesday.

The crash also took the life of 19-year-old Kirsten Duffus, from Burgate, near Eye, who was the girlfriend of Henry's brother, Max, 19.

Just days earlier, an anthology called 'Not Expecting Fish' - a collection of work by students who attended a creative writing diploma course at the University of East Anglia last year -had been officially launched.

They included two poems from Henry, whose family live in Laxfield, but he was not able to attend the launch.

Charles Christian, the anthology's editor, and a member of Henry's class, said: “A number of contributors met earlier this week and we agreed that, given the interest in Henry's work being expressed by friends and relatives, it would be appropriate to draw wider attention to the collection, both as a memorial to Henry and to highlight what a potentially great talent had been lost in such a tragic accident.

“They were right of passage coming of age type poems but considering his age they were very advanced for what they were.”

Mr Christian also paid tribute to his former class mate. “He was very mature for his age without being stuffy and I was never conscious of the fact that there was a 30-year gap between us. He was very relaxed and always had ideas and plans. He was at that stage of just starting to set out on life and had some ideas of where he wanted to be going.”

n. Not Expecting Fish is published by Gatehouse Press in association with Ink Sweat & Tears and is available from Amazon, by mail order from Ink Sweat & Tears and from Kultureshock in Blyburgate, Beccles, priced at £3.50.