His father, George Barker (1879–1965), who had worn many hats from a temporary police constable to a butler at Gray's Inn,[1][2] brought to the family a history of military service, having risen to the rank of Major during World War I. Marion Frances (1881–1953), née Taaffe, his mother, hailed from Mornington, County Meath.

Their upbringing later in Battersea and subsequently at Upper Addison Gardens, Holland Park[7] exposed them to a vibrant milieu that undeniably seeded Barker’s poetic sensibilities.

This endorsement led to his appointment as Professor of English Literature in 1939 at Tohoku University (Sendai, Miyagi, Japan).

His 1950 novel The Dead Seagull unveiled his affair with Smart, while her By Grand Central Station I Sat Down and Wept offered a poignant counterpoint.

Barker’s alignment with the New Apocalyptics,[13] a movement rebelling against the realism of the 1930s with surreal and mythic motifs, underscored his independence and distinctive voice.

"[16] Yet, Robert Fraser’s 2001 biography, The Chameleon Poet: A Life of George Barker, endeavours to trace the contours of his complex existence.

His poetry, suffused with personal passions and marked by a distinctive voice, ensures his enduring presence in the annals of British literature.