Short answers, pulled from the story.
Philip Larkin was an English poet, novelist, and librarian who lived from 1922 to 1985. He is best known for his poetry collections The Less Deceived, The Whitsun Weddings, and High Windows, and in 2003 was chosen as Britain's best-loved poet of the previous 50 years.
Philip Larkin was offered the post of Poet Laureate in 1984 after the death of Sir John Betjeman, and he declined it. He felt he had long since ceased to be a writer of poetry in any meaningful sense.
Philip Larkin worked as a librarian, becoming University Librarian at the University of Hull in 1955, a post he held until his death. He produced the greater part of his published work during his thirty years at the Brynmor Jones Library there.
Philip Larkin's posthumous reputation was damaged by Anthony Thwaite's 1992 edition of his letters and Andrew Motion's official biography, which revealed his racism, his obsession with pornography, and his shift to the political right. Lisa Jardine called him a "casual, habitual racist, and an easy misogynist," though defenders argued the letters were tailored to their recipients.
Philip Larkin's major collections were The North Ship in 1945, The Less Deceived in 1955, The Whitsun Weddings in 1964, and High Windows in 1974. Famous individual poems include "This Be The Verse," "An Arundel Tomb," "Annus Mirabilis," and his final major poem "Aubade."
Philip Larkin is commemorated in Kingston upon Hull with a bronze statue by Martin Jennings, unveiled at Hull Paragon Interchange in December 2010 during the Larkin 25 Festival. A floor stone memorial was also unveiled at Poets' Corner in Westminster Abbey on the 2nd of December 2016, inscribed with two lines from "An Arundel Tomb."