Harry Guest was born in Penarth, Wales in 1932. He read Modern Languages at Cambridge before beginning a career as a teacher in schools and universities in Japan and England. He edited and translated Penguin’s Post-War Japanese Poetry (1972). Recent books include a novel Lost Pictures and Traveller’s Literary Companion to Japan. He was appointed Honorary Research Fellow at the University of Exeter in 1994. With his wife, Lynn Guest, a historical novelist, he lives in Exeter. A Puzzling Harvest is his collected poems 1955–2000. His translations include poems by Jean Cassou and selected poems by Victor Hugo, The Distance, The Shadows.

High on the Downs, A Festschrift for Harry Guest, edited by Tony Lopez, with tributes from friends, colleagues, fellow poets and translators, playwrights and many others, was published last year by Shearsman Books to celebrate Harry Guest's 80th birthday.