Robert Graves Blue Plaque

About This Blue Plaque

Robert Graves was a renowned English poet, novelist, critic and classicist. He was born in 1895 at Lauriston Road in Wimbledon, located in the London Borough of Merton. Graves is best known for his historical novel “I, Claudius”, which vividly depicts the life of the Roman Emperor Claudius and has been adapted into an acclaimed BBC television series.

Throughout his literary career spanning over half a century, Graves produced more than 140 works. He published his first volume of poems, “Over the Brazier”, in 1916. His experiences in World War I, where he served as an officer in the Royal Welch Fusiliers, deeply influenced his early poetry and autobiographical works like “Goodbye to All That”.

Graves spent much of his life abroad, living in Majorca, Spain from 1929 until his death in 1985 at the age of 90. Despite this, his childhood home in Merton, marked by this blue plaque, celebrates the origins of one of the 20th century’s most prolific and versatile writers. The Borough of Merton has been home to several notable literary figures, including Nigel Kneale, the screenwriter best known for the Quatermass TV series and films.

With his distinctive voice and a vast body of work spanning genres, Robert Graves left an indelible mark on English literature. His legacy continues to inspire and influence writers and readers worldwide.