Adam Fox (poet)
Adam Fox (15 July 1883 – 17 January 1977) was an English priest, poet, and teacher. He was one of the first members of the Inklings, a literary group that included C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien. He later served as Canon of Westminster Abbey and is buried in Poets’ Corner.
Fox and his twin sister Eve were the children of a sea captain. He studied at Winchester College and University College, Oxford, earning a BA in 1906 and an MA in 1909. He trained for the priesthood at Cuddesdon College and was ordained deacon in 1911 and priest in 1913.
His career included teaching at Lancing College (1906–1918) and serving as headmaster of Radley College (1918–1924). He then taught at Diocesan College in Rondebosch, South Africa, until 1929. Returning to England, he became Dean of Divinity at Magdalen College, Oxford, a post he held until 1942, and during part of this time (1938–1942) he was also Oxford Professor of Poetry. Later he became Canon of Westminster Abbey.
Fox wrote the long poem Old King Coel in four books. He advocated poetry that is clear and enjoyable, easy to read again. He also wrote Plato for Pleasure (1945) to introduce Plato to a wider audience, and a biography of William Ralph Inge, which won the James Tait Black Memorial Prize in 1960.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 08:53 (CET).